Police Officers Attacked by Group of Immigrants in Times Square, New York City

Two police officers are attacked by a group of immigrants in front of an immigrant shelter in Times Square, Manhattan, New York. /NYPD

A group of immigrants attacked a police officer in Times Square in New York, USA.

According to local media such as CBS on the 30th (local time), two police officers were attacked by nine immigrants in front of a shelter for immigrants in Times Square, Manhattan, New York, on the 27th. The incident happened while trying to disperse immigrants who had gathered in an unruly manner in front of the shelter. Five of the immigrants who took part in the attack were arrested, the other four escaped and the police are chasing them.

CCTV footage of the incident shows the police approaching a group of immigrants and asking them to disperse. When the police take one of them away, a mob swarms in and starts attacking him. Another police officer next to him tries to stop him, but the group of immigrants knocks this officer down as well and continues to attack him.

However, it is not known specifically why the attack started. The witness said, “I have no idea what triggered the attack,” and “I had no choice but to run away quickly because I felt my safety was threatened.”

The immigrants currently arrested have been charged with felonies including gang assault, disorderly conduct and assaulting police officers. The suspects are said to be aged between 19 and 29, and some of them have criminal records, including theft.

A police officer is seen being attacked for asking someone to put out a cigarette at a subway station in the Bronx, New York, in November last year. / Tiktok

This incident happened about two months after two police officers were indiscriminately attacked in November last year in a subway station in the Bronx, New York, for asking them to “put out their cigarettes.” One of the officers who was attacked was in hospital with serious injuries to his face.

This raised concerns about local public safety. Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Welfare Association, said in a statement: “Attacks on police officers are spreading like an epidemic. It is impossible for the police to control crime and disorder unless the judicial system punishes them thoroughly.”

According to New York Police (NYPD) statistics, in November last year, the number of assaults on police officers was more than 3,200. This is a 20% increase compared to the last two years. In particular, it is said to have increased by 41% compared to 2021.

The New York Post cited the increase in the number of immigrants in New York starting in the spring of 2022 as the reason for this increase in the number of attacks by the police. The media said, “During this period, more than 172,000 migrants flocked to New York from the US-Mexico border, and currently, more than 67,000 are still staying in city shelters and hotels ,” adding, “This incident is a result of immigrants being detained in the five boroughs in New York, “This is only the latest example that has arisen since it began to flood,” he noted.

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