Police arrest thugs suspected of slashing and pummeling uniformed NYPD officer on NYC subway

Two thugs are in custody following a vicious attack on a New York City police officer Saturday night in the Bronx.

Marquise Webb of Yonkers and Haitian-native Brian Innocent, both 24, are being held at Riker's Island on $40,000 cash bail or $120,000 bond for allegedly slashing and pummeling 16-year NYPD veteran Lt. Gypsy Pichardo on a subway car. They have been charged with assault, resisting arrest, harassment, and obstructing governmental administration, reported WABC-TV.

Lt. Pichardo was called to Kingsbridge subway station around 9:45 p.m. on Saturday in response to a report from an MTA conductor about two groups of knife-wielding men fighting on a Bronx-bound train.

The New York Daily News indicated that one of the groups got off the train at 231st Street station, but the other group remained on until 238th Street Station, where they ran into Lt. Pichardo.

Upon his arrival, the NYPD lieutenant confronted Webb and Innocent, ordering them to disembark the halted train. Bronx prosecutors indicated both suspects refused to cooperate.

The criminal complaint claims the duo got back on the train, where they "refused several commands to place their hands behind their backs," reported the New York Post.

Footage of the incident provides a partial glimpse of a pair of thugs teaming up and cornering Lt. Pichardo, delivering kicks and haymakers. The video also reveals the attackers had a fan club as at least two men looked on without intervening on the officer's behalf.

After the bloody attack, officers can be seen chasing the suspects along the platform with Tasers at the ready. The attackers reportedly attempted to escape onto the train tracks but were captured by authorities after a brief chase.

Lt. Pichardo was taken to St. Barnabas in stable condition. He suffered significant bruising to one eye, which had swollen shut, and cuts on his face requiring eight stitches.

The NYPD indicated that a knife, a box cutter, and a straight razor were recovered by police following the arrests.

Webb and Innocent pleaded not guilty to all charges in Bronx Criminal Court Sunday night. According to WABC, detectives continue to look for the other members of the apparent gang who fled the scene.

This is not the first time in recent weeks criminal elements have tried to bleed police officers in the Bronx. A 40-year-old suspect reportedly charged two NYPD officers at Pelham Parkway station on Oct. 11, stabbing one officer in the arm and slashing the other.

Days earlier, NYPD Chief of Crime Control Strategies Michael LiPetri suggested that the increase in felony assaults this year has been driven in part by an increase in assaults on police officers.

Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York, said in a statement, "There is a simple reason that assaults on cops are going up. It's because anti-police activists — many of them on the public payroll — have normalized violent resistance against police officers. Charges against criminals who assault cops are frequently downgraded or thrown out, while hard-working cops are having their careers destroyed for using appropriate force to defend themselves or safely make an arrest. Police officers are literally getting beaten up in this environment. It's another reason that cops are still quitting in droves."

It's not just unsafe for armed police officers to travel around New York City. The NYPD indicated that felony assault increased 6.9% last month as compared to October 2022. Crime in the transit system also jumped 5.7%, and the total number of alleged bias incidents investigated by the NYPD Hate Crime Task Forces increased by 124% in October.

According to Neighborhood Scout, the chances of becoming the victim of a violent crime in the Bronx is 1 in 128.

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