A retired NYPD sergeant was seen on video being beaten as he laid on the ground in broad daylight in New York City.
The former police officer can be seen on video speaking with his assailant for about a minute Tuesday morning outside a Manhattan deli. A bottle is then thrown at him, and a struggle ensues, during which the officer is hit with several blows to the head as he lays on the ground, according to New York Post.
The suspect, who can also be seen taking the victim’s cellphone and headphones, has been identified by police as 20-year-old Masterjadin Roma. He was given a desk appearance ticket by police for aggressive panhandling.
Earlier this month, an off-duty police officer was beaten and spat on by a group of teenagers after identifying himself as law enforcement at New York City’s Penn Station.
Crime has been surging in New York City over the past few months, and the city has witnessed nearly double the number of shootings this year already than in all of 2019.
Over the past three months, shootings in broad daylight have doubled this year when compared to the same time period last year.
“So many people don’t have anything to do,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said about the crime spike. “They don’t have anywhere to go. They don’t have a job. They can’t go to school. They are dealing with so many challenges.”
