ST. GEORGE — A man punched a police officer in the face after the officer confronted him inside the St. George Ferry Terminal about his open container of alcohol, prosecutors said.
Imran McNamara, 23, was drinking from an open container inside the terminal early Friday morning when he started to become "irate and combative" around 1:30 a.m., according to the accused's criminal complaint.
A police officer approached McNamara after a city Department of Transportation worker asked him to leave the premises and he refused, according to the complaint.
The officer was trying to physically escort McNamara out when the suspect punched him in the face, prosecutors said.
The punch caused swelling in the officer's jaw, chin and cheeks, according to the complaint.
The officer hit McNamara in the face, then arrested him, the complaint said.
Prosecutors charged McNamara with assault, obstructing governmental administration and possession of an open alcohol container, the Staten Island District Attorney's office said.
His bail was set at $2,500 bond, $1,000 cash, according to online court records.
McNamara was previously arrested in January for public drinking, court records show.
His court-appointed lawyer, Stephanie Pope, said the District Attorney did not secure an indictment for McNamara on Wednesday.
"I look forward to reviewing the video, which I believe will exonerate Mr. McNamara," she said.
