By Police1 Staff
NEW YORK — A man faces charges of assaulting two NYPD officers Thursday during protests over the grand jury decision on Eric Garner.
NBC New York reports 22-year-old Yotameli Sayer was charged Wednesday with resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, disorderly conduct and assault.
Sayer reportedly sucker-punched two officers in separate incidents about two hours apart. He was originally arrested after assaulting an officer in Union Square, but a video posted to YouTube capturing an additional incident at the Staten Island ferry terminal enabled police to link him to the other attack.
Sayer pled not guilty at his arraignment.
“He was cold-cocked on the side by some coward who came out of the crowd,” NYPD Commissioner William Bratton told ABC 7. “He’s the type of character we’re talking about that is taking away from the significance of these marches. He’s out there just to engage in baiting the police, out there to, quite obviously, attack the police.”