A 23-year-old man from the Bronx, Wayne Lucas, is facing serious charges including attempted murder of a police officer after a violent robbery that occurred on May 24.
Lucas is accused of brutally assaulting Police Officer Chowdhury Nafees while he was off duty and robbing him of his firearm.
The incident took place in Westchester Square around 4:15 a.m., where Officer Nafees was attacked near St. Peters and Tratman Aves.
According to the authorities, Lucas and an accomplice, Taveon Hargrove, confronted Nafees with a knife, knocking him to the ground and subsequently stealing his service weapon.
Assistant District Attorney Paul Irace stated in Bronx Supreme Court that Lucas held a knife to Nafees’ neck while Hargrove rummaged through the officer’s belongings, taking various items, including the loaded pistol.
In a shocking escalation of violence, once they realized Nafees was a police officer, the attackers continued their assault.
Hargrove is reported to have stomped on Nafees’ head so forcefully that even over a week later, Nafees still bore the imprint of a shoe on his face.
Extradition proceedings for Hargrove, also 23, are currently ongoing as he is said to be in hiding in Virginia, refusing to return to face charges.
Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry expressed that justice must be served, emphasizing that an attack on one officer is an attack on all.
Nafees, who is 27 years old, was returning home from work at the time of the attack and was wearing a jacket over his NYPD uniform.
After the assault, a good Samaritan found Nafees unconscious on the pavement and promptly contacted the police.
Medics rushed him to a local hospital, where he was in critical condition.
A fundraiser has been established online to assist Nafees’ family with medical costs following the brutal attack.
Surveillance footage recovered from the scene revealed the horrific nature of the assault, showing Nafees being knocked to the ground and repeatedly punched before his assailants stole his gun and fled.
In a final, cruel act, one of the attackers returned to stomp on Nafees’ head while he lay helpless.
Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark condemned the attack as “egregious and brutal,” noting that the violence intensified once the assailants recognized Nafees as an officer.
Nafees, who is originally from Bangladesh and has been in the U.S. for five years, had always aspired to become a police officer as a means to support his family in the Bronx.
Having joined the NYPD in September following a career as a 911 dispatcher, Nafees now faces a long recovery ahead.
His brother, Chowdhury Navid, shared that although Nafees has been discharged from the hospital, the psychological toll remains uncertain, and the family plans to consult therapists.
Lucas was apprehended in Virginia while reportedly wearing a woman’s wig in an attempt to disguise himself.
Despite his efforts, law enforcement officials were able to arrest him without difficulty.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced Lucas’ arrest, stating that it coincided with Nafees’ release from the hospital, and reaffirmed that anyone who attacks an officer will face the full force of the NYPD.
During the brief arraignment, Bronx Supreme Court Judge George Villegas ordered Lucas held without bail.
Lucas’ attorney, Patrick Higgins, reserved the right to submit a bail application at a later date, opting not to comment on the charges during the proceedings.
If convicted, Lucas could face a sentence of up to 25 years in prison.
Hargrove was apprehended just a day prior to Lucas’ arrest in Virginia.
Detectives received a significant lead when Hargrove’s father, Jeffrey Hargrove, was arrested for petty larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, allegedly found using one of the victim’s credit cards.
Jeffrey Hargrove was released without bail after a brief court appearance.
While Nafees’ wallet and cell phone have been recovered, his service weapon remains missing, according to Assistant District Attorney Irace.
In light of the attack, Navid expressed his belief that his brother was deliberately targeted because he was a police officer, emphasizing the malicious intent behind the violence.
“It’s not that they did it to a police officer,” he stated.
“They did it because he was a police officer.
It was intentional.”
Clark hopes for a swift recovery for Nafees, who she describes as a wonderful individual who did not deserve such a brutal assault so early in his career.
Ultimately, law enforcement officials and the NYPD community continue to rally in support of Officer Nafees as he begins his journey of recovery.
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