Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
NEW YORK (AP) — The latest on homeless men seen on video fighting a New York City police officer at a subway station:
1 p.m.
New York City prosecutors say five homeless men seen on video battling a police officer on a subway platform could still face criminal charges.
Police cited the men the next day for sleeping on the station floor, not for Sunday night's altercation. Prosecutors dropped that case, citing a policy curbing prosecution of those kinds of low-level violations.
The Manhattan District Attorney's office says prosecutors who dropped the sleeping-related violations weren't aware the men were also allegedly involved in the altercation with the officer.
Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch says the DA's job "is to prosecute crimes, not to act like a social advocate."
Video shows Officer Syed Ali using a baton and kicking as the men approach one at a time. One fell onto the tracks, but wasn't seriously hurt.
___
10:30 a.m.
A New York City police union is upset that prosecutors aren't bringing criminal charges against five homeless men seen on video battling a police officer on a subway platform.
The Manhattan District Attorney's office blames police, saying the men "were not arrested for attacking an officer" in Sunday night's incident at the East Broadway station.
Police only cited the men for sleeping on the station floor. The DA stopped prosecuting such low-level violations in 2016.
Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch says the DA's job "is to prosecute crimes, not to act like a social advocate."
A video viewed more than 4 million times on social media shows Officer Syed Ali using a baton and kicking at the men as they approach one at a time. One fell onto the tracks.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
