EAST HARLEM — A man who broke an NYPD officer's teeth when she tried to arrest him for smoking pot in the lobby of a public housing complex arrest last summer pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer Monday, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's office.
John Pica, 26, was smoking pot with some friends at the Governor DeWitt Clinton Houses on East 109th Street and Park Avenue about 1:20 a.m. on July 20, 2014 when two officers approached them, according to news reports.
Pica shoved a female officer and ran, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
The officer grabbed the hood of his sweatshirt, but he broke free and ran down the stairs, causing the female officer to fall face-first into the steps, prosecutors said. She broke several teeth and cut her face in the process, according to the DA’s Office.
“John Pica turned what should have been a routine conversation with approaching police officers into a violent encounter that sent one to the hospital,” said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. in a statement. “Each day, the men and women of the NYPD put their lives on the line to protect those who live, work, and visit New York City. These brave officers deserve our utmost respect and gratitude, and acts of violence against them will not be tolerated."
Pica was convicted of a felony for assaulting a police officer. He is scheduled to be sentenced July 9, according to the DA. He could have faced seven years in prison, but in exchange for his plea he is expected to be sentenced to five years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision, prosecutors said.
A defense attorney for Pica did not immediately respond to a call for comment.
