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The NYPD arrested a man seen in viral video being cheered as he puts a Bronx officer in a headlock, but he was released after prosecutors said they needed more time to investigate.
The video shows a man police identified as Wisnel Manzueta, 29, grabbing the cop in a headlock while the officer and his partner struggle to arrest another man on a Bronx street corner on July 1. Police said Manzueta was part of a crowd seen in the video taunting the two officers as they fought to put Franklin Adrian, 31, in a patrol car. Police said Adrian became violent after he was issued a ticket for parking near a fire hydrant.
A week after the incident, Manzueta was charged with assault, but then let go when Bronx prosecutors delayed drawing up a complaint against him.
NYPD COP PLACED IN HEADLOCK AS CHEERING CROWD LOOKS ON, VIDEO SHOWS
A spokeswoman for Bronx prosecutors said Tuesday they were deferring prosecution in the case to conduct further investigation and gather more evidence.
The New York Post reported Monday that prosecutors were using the time to build a case against Manzueta that will stick.
Still, not everyone was pleased with the deferral.
WCBS-TV on Monday reported Pat Lynch, president of the NYPD’s largest union, which represents uniformed officers, said that “if the suspect is not charged, expect every interaction to be a violent one.”
“We took this city back from the criminals and City Hall, and others have given it back to the perps on the street,” he told the station.
An NYPD spokesman also expressed disappointment that Manzueta "was not charged initially" in a statement to Fox News.
POLICE UNION BOSS SAYS CRIME 'RUNNING RAMPANT' IN NYC FOLLOWING VIDEO SHOWING COP IN A HEADLOCK
“The violence against the police officer speaks for itself," the spokesman said. "We are now in discussions with the district attorney regarding the case.”
The spokesman said that as Adrian was being arrested, Manzueta approached the officers and refused numerous orders to back away to a safe distance.
He said when police attempted to take Manzueta into custody, he “punched the officer numerous times in the face and body causing abrasions and lacerations to the face and head.”
The video, which lasts 1 minute, 38 seconds, was released in a tweet Saturday from the NYPD union that represents sergeants.
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Sources say the video was given to police by an attorney representing Manzueta trying to head-off charges against his client, according to reports.
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