BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
Prosecutors criminally
charged an NYPD offi cer for
violently shoving a protester
in Brooklyn to the ground in
an incident captured in a viral
video.
Brooklyn District Attorney
Eric Gonzalez’s offi ce charged
28-year-old Vincent D’Andraia
of Brooklyn’s 73rd Precinct
with assault, criminal mischief,
harassment and menacing
for pushing 20-year-old
Dounya Zayer to the street on
May 29 near Barclays Center.
According to the criminal
complaint, Zayer was walking
in the street when D’Andraia
told her to move — but when
she asked the offi cer why he
was forcing her to move, the
cop allegedly called Zayer a
“stupid f—ing b*tch,” before
smacking her cellphone out of
her hand and pushing her to
the pavement.
The victim was taken to
the hospital, where doctors
treated her for a seizure and
a concussion, according to
Zayer.
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Gonzalez said he supported
the demonstrators’ right to
protest, and was “deeply troubled”
by the incident.
“I fully support the longheld
American tradition of
non-violent protest. As District
Attorney I cannot tolerate the
use of excessive force against
anyone exercising this Constitutionally
guaranteed right,”
he said. “This is especially
true of those who are sworn to
protect us and uphold the law.
I am deeply troubled by this
unnecessary assault. We will
now seek to hold this defendant
accountable.”
Days earlier, top NYPD
brass suspended D’Andraia
and one other offi cer for separate
attacks on protestors
during the demonstrations
against police brutality.
The other suspended offi -
cer — whose name the NYPD
A video shows an NYPD offi cer shoving protester Dounya Zayer to the ground on May 29. Twitter/@MattOrtega
did not release — was allegedly
responsible for pulling
down the mask of a young
man on May 30 in order to pepper
spray him.
That offi cer, along with
D’Andraia, were suspended
without pay on June 5. It is not
clear whether the second offi -
cer will eventually face criminal
charges.
NYPD Commissioner Dermot
Shea and Mayor Bill de
Blasio have come under heavy
criticism over the past weeks
for offi cers’ actions at the demonstrations
citywide — although
Shea argued that the
viral incidents that drew the
most outrage were isolated,
and not indicative of the entire
department.
“These incidents … are disturbing
and run counter to the
principles of NYPD training,
as well as our mission of public
safety,” Shea said. “The actions
by these offi cers stand apart
from the restrained work of
the thousands of other offi cers
who have worked tirelessly to
protect those who are peacefully
protesting and keeping
all New Yorkers safe.”
Shea said the suspensions
were “appropriate and necessary
to assure the public that
there will be transparency during
the disciplinary process.”
Policing police
Two cops suspended, one
charged for incidents in BK
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