Ex-NYPD sergeant convicted of attempted assault for beating man after 911 call

A erstwhile NYPD sergeant was convicted of attempted battle Wednesday for pummeling a antheral whose spouse called 911 for help with her emotionally distressed son.

Christian Zapata, 37, was recovered blameworthy of third-degree attempted battle — and was acquitted of third-degree battle — stemming from a Dec. 7, 2022 confrontation successful Harlem.

The erstwhile sergeant laid into the man, Jerome Collins, 43, aft helium pleaded with Zapata and his colleagues to deterioration look masks, according to proceedings evidence. Collins’ spouse had called the cops for assistance with her autistic 15-year-old son, who was successful utmost distress.

Barry Williams for New York Daily News

Jerome Collins poses for a photograph Wednesday, September 27, 2023 successful The Bronx, New York. (Barry Williams for New York Daily News)

The battle occurred erstwhile Collins went to cheque connected the lad aft authorities arrived connected the scene, and Zapata told him that helium was interfering with EMS and would beryllium arrested, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Curtis Farber heard astatine the trial.

Another cop, Officer Miguel Acevedo, past led Collins down a hallway. When Collins swatted Acevedo’s manus away, helium was restrained and punched repeatedly by Zapata for astir 9 seconds until different officers  intervened, urging their supervisor to backmost down.

“I was beaten similar a canine successful the street,” Collins told the Daily News successful a 2023 interview. “Why would this feline punch me? Why would I get punched if I’m asking for your help? You’re expected to beryllium present to support and serve. Nobody protected oregon served that day.”

Farber, who presided implicit Zapata’s seat trial, sentenced him to clip served. He faced the anticipation of a 364-day jailhouse sentence.

According to nationalist records, Zapata, who joined the unit successful 2011, made $172,000 past year. He had been promoted to sergeant months earlier the incidental and, aft it, was demoted to officer. A NYPD spokesperson told The News connected Wednesday that Zapata has retired.

Body camera footage shows incidental wrong flat wherever Jerome Collins appears to beryllium struck repeatedly by an NYPD sergeant.

Zapata’s attorney, Andrew Quinn, declined to comment. 

In a statement, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose bureau brought the case, said, “Police officers person challenging jobs and I person the utmost respect for our men and women successful uniform, but the usage of unlawful unit cannot beryllium permitted. Holding members of instrumentality enforcement accountable erstwhile they interruption the instrumentality is indispensable for nationalist information and upholding the public’s trust.”

Collins was arrested astatine the country for obstruction of justness and resisting arrest, but Bragg’s bureau declined to prosecute the case. Collins aboriginal sued the metropolis successful a civilian matter, resulting successful a $300,000 settlement, according to his lawyer Neil Wollerstein, who said helium was relieved Zapata was held accountable but questioned the punishment.

“If this was a Joe Blow regular civilian, idiosyncratic of a assortment of different communities, they would get assemblage work if they were convicted. They would get, astatine the precise least, an choler absorption program,” Wollerstein added.

“Why is it that helium got clip served and person a bully day? … The punishment lacks immoderate quality to deter officers from crossing that enactment from unit into transgression behaviour due to the fact that nothing’s going to hap to them.”