A Manhattan man has been indicted for allegedly stabbing an off-duty officer with the New York Police Department after a brief pursuit. The suspect was allegedly seen breaking into a vehicle.
On October 9 at approximately 1 a.m., Royal T. Hooks was allegedly walking along 40th Street in Lindenhurst attempting to get into multiple vehicles. Two off-duty NYPD officers, who are also related, allegedly saw Hooks rummaging through a vehicle parked on their driveway. The officers confronted Hooks and ordered him to stop. Instead, Hooks allegedly took off and immediately fled on foot.
During the pursuit, the officers identified themselves as law enforcement officers multiple times before they caught up to the defendant. Upon catching him, one of the officers again identified himself as a police officer with the NYPD, and informed Hooks that he was under arrest.
At that point, Hooks allegedly brandished a knife and stabbed the victim in the leg. Hooks was held at the scene by the off-duty officers until uniformed Suffolk County police officers arrived to take him into custody. A bottle of cologne allegedly stolen from one of the vehicles was found along the route the defendant fled.
The victim suffered a laceration to his left thigh which required multiple stitches to close.
On October 21, Hooks, 28, was arraigned on the indictment before Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski for Assault in the Second Degree, a Class D violent felony, and Petit Larceny, a Class A misdemeanor.
Pilewski ordered Hooks held on $100,000 cash, $200,000 bond or $1,000,000 million partially secured bond during the pendency of the case. Hooks is due back in court on November 14 and faces up to seven years in prison if convicted on the top count.
“This indictment demonstrates the importance of community vigilance and the dedication of our law enforcement officers, even when off duty,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “We will now reinforce their dedication through the efficient and impactful prosecution of this case.”