A suspected thief punched a female New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer in the face while he was allegedly stealing goods from a Manhattan pharmacy in broad daylight, police say.
WATCH BELOW:
The incident occurred inside of a Duane Reade drugstore on 155 East 34th Street in Murray Hill around 11:30 a.m., according to ABC 7.
Footage released by NYPD Crime Stoppers appears to show the officer blocking the suspect from the exit. The suspect reaches for her throat and pushes her aside, but the officer maintains her balance and grabs the suspect, video shows. He then turns, cracks her in the face, and leaves the scene as she lies on the ground.
The officer, who remains unidentified, was at the location moonlighting as a security guard in a “department-sanctioned side gig,” New York Daily News reports. Police say she was taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition with a fractured facial bone and a laceration to her left ear.
As of Friday night, the suspect remained on the loose, according to New York Daily News.
Police say the suspect is a known shoplifter, ABC 7 reports. He was last seen wearing a dark hoodie, dark pants, and dark shoes.
NYPD Crime Stoppers announced they are looking for another Murray Hill thief from a separate incident that occurred on December 4. The incident occurred on the corner of East 40th Street and 1st Avenue, where police say “an unidentified male approached” a female victim “from behind then touched her vagina and buttocks before forcibly removing her cellphone.”
Anyone with information regarding either incident is urged to contact NYPD’s Crime Stoppers at (800) 577- TIPS (577-8477).
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