Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced on Thursday that seven individuals have been indicted on felony and other charges in connection with last month’s assault on police officers in Times Square. This announcement came after mounting pressure over Bragg’s decision not to seek bail for five of the six initially apprehended suspects. Both top police officials and the union, along with the governor’s office, argued for harsher immediate consequences for those who attack NYPD officers.
Bragg defended his cautious approach, citing extensive confusion surrounding the identities of the suspects, exacerbated by communication problems between federal and local authorities. Mayor Eric Adams supported Bragg’s stance, emphasizing the importance of careful consideration in such cases.
Earlier in the week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials detained four men in Arizona in connection with the Times Square case. However, New York law enforcement officials clarified that these individuals were not linked to the incident. Police believe up to 13 people may have been involved in the January attack.
While details of the indictment were not immediately available, Bragg expressed confidence in his office’s ability to identify all individuals involved in the assault. He condemned the attack, emphasizing the importance of NYPD officers in maintaining the city’s safety.
Critics called for Governor Kathy Hochul to remove Bragg from office over his decision to release the other five suspects. Bragg defended his decision, stating that he did not want to detain individuals in jail until their alleged level of involvement was determined.
The NYPD recently released images of two additional suspects they are seeking in connection with the case. These individuals, whose names are sealed until apprehension and arraignment, are visible in video footage attacking the officers.
Following scrutiny of the publicly available videos, it was revealed that two of the defendants charged and released did not make contact with officers in the footage. One defendant was seen kicking a police radio but not an officer, while another was not visible in the videos at all despite being charged with assault.
Governor Hochul criticized the decision to release suspects, stating that they could have been held while investigations continued. PBA President Patrick Hendry emphasized the importance of ensuring all individuals charged appear in court, expressing concern that some suspects may be thousands of miles away. The suspects are scheduled to appear in court next month.