At least 5 court officers injured at NYC courthouse attack: sources
Court officer stabbing: Officers do not feel safe
The court officers union gathers to discuss safety issues after two officers were stabbed. FOX 5 NY's Kendall Green has the update.
NEW YORK CITY - At least five New York state court officers were injured in an attack at a Manhattan courthouse on Monday, sources tell FOX 5 NY. At least two were stabbed or slashed, and one suffered broken ribs.
What we know:
Court officials tell FOX 5 NY that around 9:45 a.m., an armed person attacked at least two court officers who were working on security details in the lobby at the courthouse located at 100 Centre St.
"New York State Court officers subdued an armed individual who assaulted uniformed Court Officers inside the criminal court building at 100 Centre Street in Lower Manhattan on Monday morning, June 16," Al Baker, state OCA spokesperson, said in a statement.
FOX 5 NY is told other court officers rushed to stop the suspect and disarmed him before the suspect was taken into custody.
"Several Court Officers immediately rushed to stop the assailant, subduing him near a bank of magnetometers, disarming him, and taking him into custody," Baker said. "The assaults, captured on surveillance video, appeared preliminarily to be a targeted attack of the uniformed officers working security details at the courthouse."
The NYS Supreme Court Officers Association says one of the officers sustained serious injuries to his face and neck.
What they're saying:
"I watched the video. It was extremely horrific. Those officers are lucky to be alive," Kaz Daughtry, deputy mayor for public safety, told FOX 5 NY’s Meredith Gorman. "On behalf of Mayor Adams, I extended the sympathy and told them the mayor is here."
President of the New York State Supreme Court Officers Association Patrick Cullen released a statement: "What will it take for court leaders to take the appropriate action to secure these facilities? Our members aren’t safe and neither is the public. The time to act is now!"
Union members reported that staffing had plummeted to "bleak" levels to The New York Post just one day earlier.
The Director Of Communications for the New York State Unified Court System, Al Baker, also released a statement, saying "Uniformed supervisors are constantly reviewing staffing levels in all of our courthouses and, where appropriate and permissible under civil service laws and rules, adjusting staffing levels."
What we don't know:
There is no word yet on the identity of the suspect, or the charges they may face.