A repeat offender on probation punched a NYPD officer so hard that the officer fell to the ground and other officers attacked the violent suspect on a Bronx sidewalk Thursday evening in a dramatic arrest that was caught on camera.
Authorities and law enforcement sources said that around 7:10 p.m., the 41-year-old suspect punched a female officer in the face as she tried to stop an altercation between a man and a group of children at the corner of Rosedale and Randall streets.
Sources said bystander video of the subsequent arrest shows the officer’s partner approaching the suspect while other officers and witnesses check on the injured officer, who is still on the ground with blood running down his face.
The video shows the officer who was attacked getting back to his feet while his fellow officer struggles to the ground, landing at least two powerful punches on the suspect.
When the suspect resists arrest, his trousers and underwear humiliate him and he is finally handcuffed, exposing his bare buttocks for the audience to witness in a wild spectacle.
Police said the injured officer suffered a cut to his lip and was taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
The suspect, identified as Ernst Delmas, was charged with assault on a police officer, resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration, according to the New York Police Department.
After his arrest, he was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital for evaluation.
According to law enforcement sources, Delmas, who is on probation, has numerous arrests over the past few years, including assault and theft.
PBA president Patrick Hendry condemned the ugly attack on another police officer.
“Thankfully, our sister is recovering from this brutal assault, but this is exactly what happens when our justice system is more focused on coddling criminals than supporting officers on the streets,” he said in a statement.
“We will be making sure this individual is appropriately charged and kept off the streets. Our sister and her partner did their job, now we need everyone in the criminal justice system to do their job.”
Last week, two NYPD officers were shot and wounded while attempting to arrest a suspect in lower Manhattan.
