NYPD Cop Acquitted after He Punched Disruptive Man at Apple Store in New York City
New York City, NY: A New York Police Department cop is now free from charges. He was accused of punching a disruptive man inside an Apple Store on the Upper West Side in an incident that happened three years ago.
Officer Salvatore Provenzano was charged with third-degree assault by Manhattan prosecutors in October 2021. The incident occurred in a confrontation that was caught on camera, and Provenzano was trying to remove the man from the store at 1981 Broadway when he hit him.
Provenzano was “simply doing his job” by safeguarding the public from a serial offender, according to PBA President Patrick Hendry’s statement. The labor boss also took a shot at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for even indicting him.
To spare the officer jail time and ensure he would not have a criminal record, prosecutors proposed dropping the allegation to second-degree harassment.
After rejecting the bargain, 17-year police veteran Provenzano opted for a judge-only trial, pleading not guilty.
According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, Acting Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Maxwell Wiley informed the court that prosecutors weren’t incorrect to initiate the case, even though the defendant was acquitted.
“We work in close partnership with the NYPD every day, and I have immense respect for the officers in uniform,” DA Alvin Bragg said in a statement. “I thank our prosecutors for their hard work, and Judge Wiley for his careful and thoughtful consideration of this matter.”
As the subject attempted to flee from the police in the incident captured on bodycam, Provenzano reportedly struck him.
Additionally, that day, the man was the target of a complaint; nevertheless, the case has subsequently been sealed.
A grand jury was called into session by Bragg’s office, and Provenzano was subsequently indicted on a charge of third-degree assault, which carries a maximum jail sentence of one year.
The victim did not sustain serious injuries, Provenzano fired a single shot, and the officer had no prior record of violent incidents; hence, prosecutors proposed reducing the charges.
Additionally, London stated that the accused had previously assaulted store security, leading to their exclusion from a minimum of one other Apple Store.
Reference: The New York Post
