What to Know
- The Manhattan DA released new bodycam video in the brawl involving NYPD officers in Times Square, a melee that sparked outrage over the prosecutors’ handling of the case
- At least a half-dozen people have been arrested so far in connection with the incident; most were released on bail, sparking outrage among police brass and the governor's office.
- Police are looking for two additional, unidentified suspects; they are among 7 indicted on felony and other charges in the case, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg announced
The Manhattan district attorney released new bodycam video in the brawl involving NYPD officers in Times Square, a melee that sparked outrage over prosecutors’ handling of the case.
Several new camera angles, including one from the bodycam of an officer involved, were released Thursday evening by District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The videos of the incident might raise questions about the initial police stop of one of the men.
The videos appear to show a group of men congregating on the sidewalk on 42nd Street, blocking a small portion of the wide walkway. Some of the men seemed reluctant to leave, but after a while as they start walking away, the group starts to sing an offensive song in Spanish, apparently directed at the officers nearby.
Two officers walk up to the group and tell them to disperse, to go down to 41st Street. Video of police bodycam shows the officers tell Yohenry Brito (seen wearing a yellow coat and pushing a stroller) to move along. As he begins to slowly move, he apparently shouts out in Spanish, “looks like ‘Ugly Betty.’”
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It wasn’t clear who the comment was aimed at, but immediately after, an officer pushes Brito up against a building to search him. Brito began to complain, asking about the baby stroller he had with him. Soon after, he seemingly tries to escape — sparking the fight with officers.
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Other videos appear to show other angles of the incident. One of those angles showed how a group of others later joined in, grabbing and kicking at the two police officers.
The video release came just hours after Bragg, joined by Mayor Eric Adams and police, announced seven people had been indicted in connection with the incident, five of whom had already been arrested and charged. Brito remains the only suspect still being held on bail.
Adams, in attendance for the 2 p.m. event, backed Bragg's cautionary approach, he told reporters.
Police have been reviewing the videos and other evidence for nearly two weeks to try to identify all those involved in the incident. Bragg showed alleged actions of some, including suspect Darwin Gomez-Izquiel, who allegedly kicked the officers.
Yorman Revefron, who was seen wearing white in the video, was also charged with assault.
“The alleged conduct is grabbing and pulling and throwing the two officers to the ground,” Bragg said at the press conference.
Another suspect, Kelvin Arocha, was seen in the video kicking away a police radio. He has since been charged with aiding others in the attack. Wilson Juarez was accused of giving up his gray jacket to help Brito escape; his charges have since been downgraded from assault to evidence tampering.
Another defendant was charged with assault, but a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation said he is not even visible on the videos at all.
Two others who have not yet been named were also charged in the fracas.
The DA's office presented the case to a grand jury this week amid mounting pressure over his decision not to seek bail for five of the six suspects apprehended. Top police officials and the union, as well as the governor's office, argued people who attack NYPD officers should face harsher immediate consequences than a follow-up court date.
For his part, Bragg said there was extensive confusion around the identity of the men, a group of whom are seen in blurry surveillance footage descending on the two officers in front of a 42nd Street shelter. Not helping matters: communication problems between federal and local authorities.
Earlier this week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials put out a statement saying they detained four men in Arizona in connection with the Times Square case. Law enforcement officials in New York insisted the detained men had no connection to their case at all (the men were not linked to Times Square, Bragg later said in a statement.)
How we got here
Police believe up to 13 people may have been involved in the January brawl. Details on the indictment weren't immediately clear Thursday, as far as the seven people charged. But Bragg said he felt confident that his office had identified all the roles of people who broke the law and participated in the attack.
"This assault sickened me and outraged me," Bragg said Thursday. "We all rely on members of the NYPD every day to keep us the safest big city in America."
Some critics went so far as to call on Gov. Kathy Hochul to remove Bragg from office over his release of the other five.
Bragg's office remained largely mum on the topic for days, until he held a press conference in which he said he didn't want to hold people in jail until he knew their alleged level of involvement.
On Wednesday, the NYPD put out images of two more men they say they are looking for in the case. One man is seen kicking an officer multiple times, while the other is seen kicking an officer and then falling down, according to officials.
After 10 days of scrutinizing the videos made public after the assault, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation said in the case of two of the defendants charged and released, the video does not show them making any contact with officers.
"They wanted to make sure they had the right person, but you can hold these people while you're still investigating," Hochul said. "You don't let them out."
"These indictments won’t mean anything unless these individuals show up in a Manhattan courtroom," added PBA President Patrick Hendry. "Some of them might be thousands of miles away at this point. New York City police officers will apprehend those who fail to appear, but we shouldn’t have to. They should be in jail. We won’t call it justice until they are all behind bars."
The suspects are due in court in early March.
