Officers slashed while scanning a criminal court visitor in Lower Manhattan

An incident occurred at the criminal court building in Lower Manhattan on Monday morning. As a result the security personnel were injured, NYPD informs.

At about 9:45 a.m., during the standard procedure of screening visitors, a man attacked employees working at metal detectors at 100 Centre Street.

As a result of the attack, two employees were injured: one in the face, the other in the neck. Another employee was injured when the suspect pushed him into the fence. All the injured were promptly taken to Bellevue Hospital, where they received the necessary medical care. It is reported that their condition is stable.

The suspect, a 37-year-old man, was arrested at the scene. According to preliminary data, he has a rich criminal past, including 18 previous arrests, mostly related to drugs, as well as cases of suspicious behavior in the courthouse. According to eyewitnesses, he tried to walk past an employee who tried to stop him, and in the process injured two other employees.

"Several Court Officers immediately rushed to stop the assailant, subduing him near a bank of magnetometers, disarming him, and taking him into custody," a court spokesperson said. "The assaults, captured on surveillance video, appeared preliminarily to be a targeted attack of the uniformed officers working security details at the courthouse."

The suspect is currently in custody and charges will be brought against him. It is known that three criminal cases have already been opened against him, but he did not have a court hearing scheduled for Monday. He is currently undergoing a medical examination at Bellevue Hospital.

NY State Supreme Court Officers Association President Patrick Cullen issued the below statement, demanding a safer environment for its members:

"Within just a couple of days of launching a widespread advocacy campaign making the public aware of the severe safety deficiencies in our courts, OCA was in Brooklyn draining more personnel resources, while in Manhattan Criminal Court, two Court Officers were stabbed with one officer sustaining serious wounds to his face and neck. What will it take for court leaders to take the appropriate action to secure these facilities? Our members aren't safe and neither is the public. The time to act is now!"