CIVIC CENTER — The NYPD offered a $12,000 reward Tuesday to anyone providing information leading to the arrest and conviction of seven people suspected of punching two NYPD lieutenants who were trying to make an arrest during Saturday’s Eric Garner protest.
Police released new photos of seven suspects they said fought with the Legal Affairs Bureau officers, as well as photos of nine witnesses who might be able to provide information on the incident. One lieutenant had his nose broken during the brawl and both officers suffered cuts and bruises.
The suspects include three women, all wearing black coats, and four men who were also dressed in black. The witnesses' photos show two people filming the incident as well as a man wearing a green baseball cap who, police said, might be a legal observer.
The incident happened around 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 13 when some protesters were walking on the Manhattan side of the bridge’s walkway.
Two uniformed NYPD lieutenants spotted protester and part-time CUNY professor Eric Linsker trying to throw a large garbage can down onto the roadway below, where other demonstrators and police officers were walking, officials said.
Police were able to stop Linsker, 29, but he violently resisted the arrest and other demonstrators joined in to help him flee the scene, according to the police and a video published on Youtube.
During the struggle, protesters punched and kicked the police officers, and tried to remove the officers' radios and their NYPD jackets, police said.
They were treated at a Lower Manhattan hospital and have been released since.
Linsker, who had fled the scene, was later arrested and charged with assault, riot, resisting arrest, unlawful possession of marijuana and criminal possession of a weapon, as police recovered hammers in his backpack.
"I think it’s to the benefit of the organizers of these marches, participants, to work with us to ensure that the agitators and the anarchists that are seeking to use the cover of these otherwise peaceful demonstrations to advance their own goals, which often times have nothing at all to do with the issues that so many other thousands are marching about," Police Commissioner Bratton said at a press conference on Monday evening.
The $12,000 award include $2,000 from Crime Stoppers and $10,000 from Citizens Outraged at Police Being Shot.
Anyone with information regarding these suspects, these witnesses, or this incident in general, is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or 1-800-COP-SHOT.
The public can also submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.
