Three teenagers have been charged following a violent attack on a retired NYPD lieutenant on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The incident unfolded around 8 p.m. near Park Avenue and East 84th Street when the 65-year-old retiree stepped in as the teens were harassing a cab driver.
One of the teenagers struck the retired officer from behind with a backpack, while others punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Although the officer sustained minor injuries, he declined medical treatment at the scene.
After authorities released surveillance images of the suspects, the teenagers’ parents recognized them and voluntarily brought them to the 19th Precinct. The three, two aged 13 and one aged 14, now face charges of second-degree gang assault and second-degree assault.
The retired officer described the group as disruptive and said they had been harassing several people before he intervened. He explained that he approached them after they began targeting the cab driver, and was struck from behind moments later.