The brother of 27-year-old New York City Police Department officer Chowdhury Nafees, who was attacked by two men in the Bronx Saturday, told Fox News Digital that the suspects in the incident “escalated” their violence after discovering Nafees was a police officer.
This has sparked discussions regarding use-of-force policies, which may hinder law enforcement officers from protecting themselves.
Wayne Lucas, 23, and Taveon Hargrove, 23, were arrested for the assault that left Nafees, who was in uniform on his way home from work, “horribly mutilated.”
Lucas and Hargrove allegedly forced the off-duty rookie cop to the ground shortly before 4 a.m. Saturday, stomping on his face and injuring him many times.
They then allegedly held a knife to his throat before forcibly taking his wallet, iPhone, and revolver and fleeing.
Nafees’ boyfriend called the family and said “something happened,” but they didn’t know until the 45th precinct confirmed he had been rushed to a neighboring hospital in critical condition.
Nafees’ brother, Chowdhury Navid, told Fox News Digital that he and his mother went to the hospital and discovered Nafees unconscious and bleeding from the eyes.
“The left eye was completely, horribly mutilated,” Navid informed me. “There was a scar on his face, indicating that someone had stomped him violently. You can see the traces on his face. “It was heartbreaking to see my brother, whom I adore and admire, in such a helpless state.”
Chowdhury experienced significant head trauma and will require reconstructive surgery. His left orbital bone and right cheekbone were also fractured, among other injuries.
Navid described his father’s reaction as he arrived at the hospital a short time later.
“My dad is a very strong man,” he remarked. “I’ve never seen him cry in his life. This is the first time I’ve seen him split apart.”
While the attack appeared to be random, Navid claims it “escalated dramatically” when the suspects discovered his brother was in law enforcement.
“My brother recalled with one of the investigators [that the suspects learned he was a police officer because he was] wearing a vest on top of his uniform,” he told CNN. “When they found out, my brother claimed he heard them say, ‘Ah, s—. This is a cop.'” “After that, everything escalated.”
“They absolutely hated it,” Navid said. “If they could, they would have killed him.”
Retired NYPD Det. Robert Garland, who is assisting the family in raising funds for Nafees’ recuperation, demanded justice and urged the department to be more proactive in protecting officers.
“In an act like this, justice needs to be served,” Garland told Fox News Digital. “That means not going to jail for three or five years. This is an attack against a police officer. And, in my opinion, this is an attempted murder. They should be imprisoned indefinitely or sentenced to death. Something like this should not happen again.
According to Garland, law enforcement agencies’ use-of-force policies can also contribute to officers becoming indifferent and dissuading them from self-defense.
“That officer was scared about what he would do, about what his actions would be and how the job — the NYPD — would treat him if he took action,” he told me.
“Those perpetrators had a knife to him,” Garland explained. “Imagine if he shot, drew his handgun and shouted, ‘Police don’t move,’ then shot. He was perfectly within his legal rights to do this. But he is thinking, “Should I do that?” Am I about to lose my job? Am I going to have a public trial? … All of these events are unavoidable and unpleasant. Officers should be authorized to enforce the law.
The same concerns may influence potential recruits’ likelihood of taking the oath of office.
“People are afraid to take the job because they’re afraid of losing it,” according to Gardland. “They’re terrified of the consequences. They are terrified of being transported in the middle of the night.
“The job needs to change, and that camaraderie needs to come back,” he told me. “Unions, brotherhoods, everything has to come together, and everyone has to be there for one other. Without immediate action, this work will be unappealing. They have to maintain that tiny blue line.”