Metro
An officer was allegedly assaulted Sunday just after midnight.
Daniel William McKnight
A New York City police officer was slugged in the face by a 24-year-old Long Island man in Times Square early Sunday, authorities said – the latest attack in a string of violence against Big Apple’s Finest.
The perp allegedly assaulted the uniformed officer shortly after midnight when police responded to a call of a disorderly man at Broadway and 42nd Street and asked him to leave the area, authorities said.
Michael Thomas, of Great Neck, is accused of slugging the cop in the face multiple times before he was arrested, police said.
Thomas was hit with multiple charges, including assault on a police officer and assault with intent to cause physical injury. He’s also facing disorderly conduct and harassment charges.
The officer was taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
A second police officer was involved in an unrelated scuffle later on Sunday as cops moved in for an arrest in Manhattan, law enforcement sources said.
The incident happened near the New York Public Library at about 1:45 p.m. – around the same time and place a pro-Palestinian protest was happening where multiple people were taken into custody.
PBA President Patrick Hendry slammed the latest violence against the city cops.
“These assaults on police officers are happening every single day, but we’re not going to let them disappear into the statistics any longer,” he told The Post.
“We want New Yorkers to understand exactly what their cops are up against. We need them to hold their elected leaders and the entire justice system accountable. That is the only way the dangerous environment on our streets will change.”
NYPD officers have faced a series of violent showdowns on the job in recent weeks.
Last week, a group of migrants were arrested in a shocking caught-on-camera Jan. 27 attack on two cops in Times Square.
A week before, a motorist struck a police officer with her car on the Upper East Side. The suspect, Sahara Dula, was arrested in the Jan. 18 incident and charged with vehicular assault.
Two days prior, two cops were shot and wounded when they attempted to arrest an unhinged suspect who police said grabbed one of their guns.
Daisy Hips is a science communicator who brings the wonders of the natural world to readers. Her articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to environmental conservation. Daisy is also an advocate for science education and enjoys stargazing in her spare time.
