NYPD Officer Indicted In Sixth Precinct For Brutally Punching Homeless Man
On November 10th, 2021, NYPD officer Juan Perez and his partner received a call that Borim Husenaj–a drunken homeless man–was throwing water on passerby at the intersection of Bleecker St. and Sullivan St. in Greenwich Village. After initially attempting to handcuff him, Perez aggressively punched the prone and unarmed Husenaj six times in the face. Perez has been charged with assault in the third degree.
| 06 Jun 2023 | 07:58
The intersection of Bleecker and Sullivan. Juan Perez, an NYPD officer, has been charged with assault after repeatedly punching an unarmed homeless man said to be acting belligerently on the corner of the two streets in November of 2021. Photo: Google Street View
Juan Perez, a NYPD officer, was on patrol with his partner in the West Village when he received a call that a man was acting belligerently and throwing water at passerby near the corner of Bleecker and Sullivan Streets. It was November 10th, 2021. They caught up with the man, Borim Husenaj, on MacDouglal Street. He was reportedly visibly drunk and holding a bottle of alcohol, which Perez took from him before calling an ambulance and noting that the man was intoxicated. A sharp exchange of words followed between the two after Husenaj refused to sit in a chair. Shortly thereafter, Perez shoved Husenaj against a wall and attempted to handcuff him.
Failing to apply handcuffs after a protracted struggle, Perez allegedly brutally assaulted the subdued Husenaj, punching him six times in the face while he was on the ground. Husenaj was taken to the hospital with a broken nose and “significant swelling,” according to the Manhattan DA’s office.
Perez has now been charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with one count of Assault in the Third Degree. District Attorney Alvin Bragg introduced the charges, stating: “As we allege, the defendant’s assault caused the victim to suffer substantial pain. Police officers are often put in challenging situations, but they must use their training appropriately and treat the residents of New York City with respect.”
According to Bragg’s office, the case against Perez will be prosecuted by Assistant D.A. Karl Mulloney-Radke, under the supervision of Assistant D.A. Nick Viorst (Chief of the Police Accountability Unit). Perez has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and his lawyer James Kilduff told the court that his client “categorically denies the allegations.”