One of the immigrants reportedly implicated in an assault against two New York Police Department officers in Times Square earlier this year has accepted a plea bargain. The individual, Darwin Andres Gomez-Izquiel, 19, admitted his guilt for second-degree assault, a class D felony in the Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday. He received a sentence of 364 days in prison, as stated by an official representative from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.
Patrick Hendry, the President of the Police Benevolent Association commented on the decision, asserting that although the punishment could have been more severe, it was still a positive step seeing the accused accept his felony charges. Hendry went on to express relief that the sentence guarantees Gomez-Izquiel would continue to serve time for his blatant assault on the police officers.
However, Hendry stressed the importance of post-sentence actions. He stipulated that upon completion of his sentence, Gomez-Izquiel should face immediate deportation, without granting him the opportunity to set foot again on their city’s streets. Hendry also drew attention to other participants in the incident whose cases are presently unresolved and highlighted the need for them to be made accountable.
As per the police report, the incident took place when a group behaving inappropriately in Manhattan’s Times Square was being dispersed by the police on a Saturday night, at approximately 10 pm, on January 27th. The situation escalated into a physical skirmish as several individuals started to attack the officers with fists and feet when the officers attempted to arrest one from their group.
In addition to Gomez-Izquiel, four others, Yorman Reveron, aged 24; Wilson Juarez, aged 21; Kevin Servita Arocha, aged 19; and Jhoan Bhoada, aged 22, were apprehended in relation to the event. The assault was widely understood to be tied to the ongoing migrant crisis in the city, a point of large concern for state officials, stirred further by the alleged assailants being let out on bail.
Several politicians, including Representative Nicole Malliotakis of the Republican party, have suggested that the involved individuals should be deported. Malliotakis, who represents Staten Island/South Brooklyn, proposed a bipartisan agreement that any immigrant engaging in violent crimes should face immediate deportation and should be barred from any future immigration applications to the country.
Governor Kathy Hochul echoed these sentiments during the time of the incident. She expressed that depending on the individual’s legality in the country, deportation could be a potential recourse. Hochul clarified that in situations where a crime against a police officer is committed by a person in the state of New York, who is not legally residing in the country, their legal status should certainly be scrutinized.
Hochul was firm in her condemnation of any form of physical assault towards law enforcement officers. She deemed it unacceptable under any circumstances, calling it inherently wrong. Furthermore, she impressed upon the judicial system and prosecutors to act appropriately and ensure justice is served.