Police are searching for men caught on camera beating NYPD officers in Times Square.
It happened in the heart of Times Square on Saturday night.
Surveillance video was taken outside the migrant shelter at 220 West 42nd St. Police say officers were trying to disperse a disorderly crowd.
The second clip then shows the police trying to take someone into custody. At the time, police said the officers were attacked by a group of men. A lieutenant and an officer from the Midtown South precinct were kicked and beaten. One suffered a laceration to the face.
Police have arrested five people, but say four others seen in the video are on the run and want the public’s help in finding them. Five of those arrested were charged with grievous bodily harm. Police say they are migrants staying in various shelters in the city.
At least two witnesses who spoke to CBS New York on Tuesday said they had no idea what triggered the attack. They say they fled quickly because they feared for their safety.
The first four who were arrested and charged appeared in court and were released. Their next court date is in March.
The fifth arrest happened just on Tuesday.
The president of the Police Benevolent Association said in a statement that assaults on police officers are becoming an epidemic and the reason is what he calls “revolving door justice.”
