Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced the indictment of seven people he says were involved in a group assault of two NYPD officers outside a migrant shelter in Times Square.
Police have already arrested five people named in the indictment, while two others have not yet been apprehended or arraigned, according to the DA’s office. Four of the five men arrested were charged with second-degree assault, a felony punishable by up to seven years in prison. Charges against the two people still at large are under seal.
“This assault, as it did to many of you, sickened me and outraged me,” Bragg said at a press conference on Thursday.
The attack was caught on video, and surveillance footage released by the NYPD has since gone viral. The incident stoked already fierce political debates about bail reform and New York City’s migrant crisis. Gothamist fact-checked some of the commentary that has proliferated in the news and on social media.
One man, 24-year-old Yohenry Brito, was indicted earlier this week and remains in custody. The others were released shortly after the Jan. 27 incident.
Prosecutors have been presenting evidence to a grand jury since Tuesday.
Officials in Bragg’s office said a total of 11 people were involved in the assault, contrary to the NYPD’s initial estimate of 14.
Two of seven indicted Wednesday night have not been apprehended, while three of the 11 have not been fully identified or located. Bragg is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying and locating them, and prosecutors are still investigating possible criminal charges against another person.
Two of the people indicted still have their cases sealed pending their arraignment. The DA’s office said they participated in kicking officers.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny, who appeared alongside Bragg and Mayor Eric Adams at the press conference, said the incident started after police asked a group of migrants to clear the sidewalk to make room for pedestrians.
All but Brito…
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