By Colleen Long
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Two off-duty New York police officers were charged with gang assault after being accused of kicking, punching and pistol-whipping a man whose open car door was blocking their lane of traffic.
Kollen Robinson, 24, and Michelle Anglin, 37, were stripped of their badges and guns and are the subject of an internal investigation, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Tuesday. The women have pleaded not guilty to gang assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
“If these allegations prove true, it’s a horrendous case, a horrendous situation,” Kelly said.
The officers were off duty and driving in Robinson’s sport-utility vehicle when they got stuck in traffic around 5 p.m. Friday. A motorist, Marlon Smith, was blocking their lane with his open car door.
One of the officers yelled at Smith to shut the door; he yelled back an insult, and a profanity-laced argument erupted.
According to a criminal complaint, Anglin walked to the car and sprayed him with Mace. Robinson is accused of smacking Smith with a baton, and Anglin is accused of pistol-whipping him with her gun. The victim also had a gun pointed in his face.
The officers eventually left the scene, but a witness got the license plate number of the SUV, which was traced to Robinson, police said.
Attorneys for the two women had no comment. Robinson had been on the force since 2006, Anglin since 2005.
The victim was taken to a hospital, where he received 25 staples to his scalp to close three cuts. He also suffered blurry vision and facial bruising.