Quantcast

Jamaica man charged in assault of cop: DA

Jamaica man charged in assault of cop: DA
Photo by Ellis Kaplan
By Bianca Fortis

A Jamaica man has been charged with attempted murder after he allegedly brutally beat an off-duty police officer, according to authorities.

Hayden Holder, 29, of 102nd Avenue, was arraigned Monday morning and faces second-degree attempted murder and first- and second-degree assault, according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

According to Brown, Holder allegedly got into a verbal fight with Sgt. Mohamed Deen, 40, at about 4:40 a.m. Sunday in front of St. John’s Express, at 118-14 Liberty Ave. in Richmond Hill.

The dispute escalated and Holder allegedly punched Deen in the head, knocking him to the ground, according to Brown.. Holder then allegedly continued to physically assault Deen by punching and kicking him and slamming his head into the pavement, Brown said.

A video posted to Facebook, believed to depict the assault, shows a man repeatedly striking Deen, even as he lay motionless in the middle of the street. The choppy cellphone video, which lasts several minutes, also shows Deen attempting to break the glass of a white BMW by punching it repeatedly. When he fails to break the glass, he goes back to hitting Deen.

It appears in the video that the witnesses at the scene do not step in to stop Holder. The man filming actually cheers throughout it.

The graphic video has since been removed from the social networking website.

Deen was brought to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center where doctors initially put him into a medically-induced coma.

According to a New York Post report, Deen, an 18-year NYPD veteran, was removed from a mechanical ventilator and is now breathing and talking on his own. He had suffered multiple fractures of his face and a brain hemorrhage.

Holder, according to the Post, said he was drunk and blacked out. He said he does not remember the confrontation, which began outside a nearby nightclub.

Queens Criminal Court Judge Suzanne Melendez ordered Holder held without bail. He is expected to return to court Dec. 2. If he is convicted of the charges, Holder faces up to 25 years in prison.

According to the Sergeants Benevolent Association, the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau initially launched an investigation into Deen’s actions and his role in the fight.

Ed Mullins, the president of the SBA, has called for the resignation of Chief Charles Campisi and an investigation into the IAB.

According to Mullins, IAB investigators arrived at the hospital room of Deen and demanded information about his actions that night.

Mullins said the IAB has “once again crossed the line” and that no allegation of misconduct was ever made against him.

“Under no circumstances should IAB have had an involvement in this case, particularly when detectives from the 106 Precinct had already made an arrest and gathered all relevant evidence,” he said in a statement.

Reach reporter Bianca Fortis by email at bfortis@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.