Cop ‘crossed the line’
A CITY cop accused of assaulting and intimidating a Coney Island man over a spilled drink could face up to four years in prison if convicted of the numerous charges brought against him Monday.
NYPD Officer O’Keefe Thompson, 30, was released without having to post bail after he was indicted on one count of intimidating a witness, two counts of thirddegree assault and two counts of official misconduct.
Defense lawyer Michael Martinez entered a plea of not guilty on Thompson’s behalf before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun.
Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Thompson’s badge would not protect him from the law if found guilty.
“Police officers risk their lives every day to keep us all safe. However, this defendant crossed the line by allegedly assaulting a man and later threatening him,” Gonzalez said.
“Such conduct is not only unacceptable, it undermines public trust in our justice system and will not be tolerated in Brooklyn,” he added.
Thompson is accused of roughing up Raymond Crespo, 23, at the corner of Mermaid Ave. and W. 32nd St. in Coney Island.
The July 8 attack came after a cup of alcohol was knocked out of Crespo’s hand and splashed on a sidewalk near Thompson, prosecutors said.
The officer told Crespo to clean up the mess, and when he refused, Thompson got violent, prosecutors said. The officer was on duty at the time, and the confrontation was captured on video surveillance, prosecutors said.
Crespo, who suffered a bruised eye and concussion, later went to the hospital and reported the assault.
The following day, when Thompson was off duty and in plainclothes, he “sought the victim and asked him, ‘Why you s--- on my name?’ ” Assistant District Attorney Peter Choi said. Several witnesses had to separate the two men, said Choi. That encounter was also caught on video.
“I just want justice and I don’t want this to happen to anybody else . . . . I’m just lucky to be alive. So many people died because of cases like this,” Crespo told reporters.
“I’m not afraid of police officers, but this officer, he’s a thug, something is wrong with him,” Crespo added.
Thompson was automatically suspended without pay following the indictment. He was placed on modified duty during the investigation.
The Rev. Kevin McCall, national crisis director with the National Action Network, said sources told him other officers were involved with the intimidation and are currently under departmental review.