NYPD officer Christian Zapata arraigned on assault charge after allegedly punching man who asked him to wear a mask
NEW YORK -- An NYPD officer pleaded not guilty during an arraignment on an assault charge Wednesday morning.
He's accused of repeatedly punching a man while responding to a call last December about an emotionally disturbed child in Harlem.
Police body camera footage from Dec. 7, 2022, shows Jerome Collins asking officers repeatedly to put on a mask inside his apartment.
"Can we get some masks inside?" Collins says.
"Relax, man, relax," an officer says.
"No, I want some masks," Collins says.
"Alright, I'll wear a mask, that's fine," an officer says.
"If you're not wearing no mask, please step back," Collins says.
For about 10 minutes, he continues to ask.
"My son is in here. I'm just asking y'all if it's possible that y'all could put y'all's masks on?" Collins says.
Police were there after Collins' girlfriend called 911 about her teen son, who has autism, being aggressive.
"So we can't get no masks?" Collins asks.
Collins eventually calls 911.
"I don't want my son getting sick, so I'm asking the officer and he's not doing it," Collins tells the operator.
"I've got masks right here," Collins tells the officer.
"No, no, not right now," the officer says.
"I want to make sure he's alright," an officer says while pushing away a mask Collins offers.
"You're touching me, and I asked you to put a mask on," Collins says.
"Bro, you're interfering with the process. You're gonna end up under arrest, too. Back up. Back up. Get out that space," an officer says.
The body cam video shows officers grab Collins and start punching him. Collins was punched 13 times with a closed fist.
"My eye was swollen for weeks. My jaw was swollen for weeks, I couldn't eat," Collins told CBS New York.
It all happened in front of his 8-year-old son.
"Now when he see cops, he just don't want me to get punched or pummeled. He's so afraid," Collins said.
NYPD Officer Christian Zapata -- then a sergeant, now demoted to officer -- was indicted on one count of assault in the third degree and arraigned Wednesday morning. The 12-year veteran of the force has been suspended without pay.
He said in statements to police after, "I was protecting my guys, he was going at one of my guys."
"When he pushed me, I tried to guide his hand away. I pushed it down and said, 'Stop pushing me,' and when I did that, I put my hands up to show like there's no threat," Collins said.
In a letter to the NYPD commissioner, Zapata wrote, "I understand the number one goal of policing is always de-escalation," and also said he wants to be a police commissioner one day, "Like you, I have worked very hard to attain my rank and it would be a tragedy for it to be stripped."
"He deserves everything stripped from him," Collins said.
Collins was initially arrested and charged, but the Manhattan district attorney declined to prosecute. The DA says his office will "continue to impartially investigate instances where members of law enforcement use unnecessary force."
