POLICE ‘CHASED’
NYPD officers engaged in an hourslong standoff with a cop-assault suspect in Hell’s Kitchen on Friday — before Police Commissioner Dermot Shea ordered them to retreat as protesters arrived at the scene, law-enforcement sources told The Post.
The top cop’s directive to give up — without the suspect in custody — left some NYPD union reps fuming Friday night, given the city’s recent concessions to unruly protesters.
“Who put police officers in the dangerous position of backing down in the face of an angry mob?” Police Benevolent Association president Patrick Lynch said in a statement.
“They have set an unbelievably damaging precedent.”
Detectives’ Endowment Association president Paul DiGiacomo agreed the cops at the scene were endangered.
“Cops wondered why they even bother, and the New Yorkers they proudly serve are losing their city,” he added.
Police massed on West 45th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues at around 7 a.m. on Friday to try to bring in Derrick Ingram, who was accused of screaming through a bullhorn into the ear of a cop at a recent demonstration, leaving her with hearing damage, sources said.
Dozens of cops, some dressed in tactical gear, flooded the scene but couldn’t enter the protester’s apartment because they didn’t have a warrant, sources said.
While refusing to come out, the suspect began live-streaming the battle of wills online, sending fellow protesters racing to the scene.
Over the course of about six tense hours, the crowd grew to nearly 100 protesters, who chanted anti-NYPD slogans from behind police tape, video footage of the standoff shows.
State Sen. Brad Hoylman (D), who represents the area, told The Post that he was disgusted by the Police Department’s actions.
“It’s a misapplication of resources,’’ he said. “The police should be aware by now of the need to de-escalate situations like this rather than show up to try to arrest a single individual using dozens of officers and not even have a warrant in hand.’’
Hoylman’s team learned of the showdown as it was happening and reached out to City Hall at around 12:20 p.m., the lawmaker said.
Within about an hour, the cops left empty-handed — after Shea called a department supervisor and ordered the police to turn tail, according to multiple sources.
Cops received assurances that the suspect would later turn himself in with a lawyer at a police station house, sources said — but it did not immediately appear that he held up his end of that deal.
“The NYPD was attempting to make an apprehension for assault on a police officer,” an NYPD spokeswoman said. “At this time, the investigation is active and ongoing.”
The spokeswoman did not respond to a question about Shea’s role.