NYPD Auxiliary Officers Accused Of Handcuffing, Robbing Food Deliveryman In East Harlem
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Two NYPD auxiliary police officers have been arrested and charged with handcuffing a food deliveryman and robbing him in an East Harlem apartment building.
The 48-year-old deliveryman was bringing food to an apartment in the building at 220 E. 102nd St. just after 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, police said. Two men flashed police shields in the lobby of the building and accompanied the deliveryman to the 14th floor in the elevator, police said.
The victim tried to deliver food to the apartment where he had been sent, but the occupant said no order had been placed, police said.
The deliveryman then walked back to the elevator and found the two men with the police shields waiting, police said.
The men forced the victim out of the elevator and handcuffed him with his hands behind his back, police said. They went on to take $180, his wallet, and his iPhone 4S, police said.
The suspects then ran off, police said. Officers responded and took the handcuffs off the deliveryman, police said.
The NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau Police Impersonation Unit responded and investigated, and determined that the suspects were actually auxiliary police officers, police said.
The auxiliary officers – James Kiernan, 22, of the Upper East Side, and Jordan Martinez, 22, of East Harlem – were both charged with robbery, burglary, unlawful imprisonment, criminal impersonation, assault, and criminal mischief, police said.
Auxiliary police officers are "eyes and ears" volunteers who perform uniformed foot, vehicle and bicycle patrols, and observe and report conditions that might require actual officers. They do not carry guns, but do carry wooden batons and handcuffs.
Police were asking victims of similar incidents to contact the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau at (212) 741-8401, or the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline at (800) 577-TIPS.