BRONX — A police officer who broke into a woman's apartment and beat her in June, shortly after being awarded the department's second highest honor, told the victim "sometimes I'm a bad guy" as he punched her in the face, according to the NYPD.
Eugene Donnelly, 27, was arrested just after 9 a.m. Monday morning on three counts of burglary, two counts of assault, two counts of trespassing and one count of harassment.
On June 11, Donnelly broke the lock on the front door of an apartment at East 234th Street and Webster Avenue around 5:30 a.m. and entered the building, according to the criminal complaint.
"Shhh. It's OK, just put a shirt on," Donnelly allegedly told the victim.
The court documents also accuse him of going into the apartment's kitchen, running into the foyer, grabbing the female tenant, throwing her to the ground and hitting her around the face, saying "I'm a good guy, but sometimes I'm a bad guy."
Donnelly then dragged the woman to the bedroom by her armpits and continued to hit her around the face, resulting in bleeding, swelling and a prolonged headache, according to the criminal complaint.
On June 10, Donnelly received the Police Combat Cross from Mayor Bill de Blasio and Commissioner William Bratton, which is given out for "extraordinary acts of heroism while engaged in personal struggle with an armed adversary" under extremely dangerous circumstances.
Donnelly was given the honor for arresting a gunman who fired at him in The Bronx in 2012, according to the Daily News.
He was arraigned on Monday, released without bail and is due back in court on Aug. 20.
The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association declined comment and Donnelly's lawyer did not immediately respond to a call for comment.
