By Bianca Fortis
An off-duty police sergeant remained in critical condition following a brutal beating outside an Ozone Park diner on Sunday morning, authorities said.
Hayden Holder, 29, of 102nd Ave. in Jamaica, was arrested after allegedly pummeling the officer until he was unconscious, police said. Holder was charged with second-degree attempted murder and first- and second-degree assault, according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.
The two men were involved in a verbal dispute at about 4:40 a.m. in front of St. John’s Express at 118-14 Liberty Avenue when Holder allegedly punched Mohamed Deen, knocking him to the ground, Brown said.
A video, which is believed to depict the assault, shows a man repeatedly striking Deen, even as he lay motionless in the middle of the street.
An investigation was underway, according to police.
Deen remained in a medically induced coma at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.
Reach reporter Bianca Fortis by email at bfortis@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
