An NYPD sergeant who was called to help calm an autistic Harlem teen in crisis but ended up repeatedly punching his mother’s longtime boyfriend has been indicted by a grand jury.
Sgt. Christian Zapata turned himself in at the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office Wednesday morning and was arraigned on misdemeanor assault charges stemming from a Dec. 7 incident in which Jerome Collins was shoved against a wall and pummeled in the face with 12 to 14 punches, a source familiar with the investigation said.
Zapata was released without bail after his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court.
The chaotic confrontation — which unfolded after Collins repeatedly asked the police officers on the scene to wear masks — was captured on the body-worn cameras worn by Zapata, a 12-year veteran promoted to sergeant just four months earlier, and other officers in the family’s cramped apartment.
The officers refused Collins’ request, despite his explaining that there were people with compromised medical conditions in the home. Collins said the family calls 911 when they are having trouble controlling the autistic teen.
Following the episode, Collins was arrested, charged with obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest, but the Manhattan district attorney’s office declined to prosecute him — and instead investigated Zapata.
Collins testified before the grand jury, which recently voted to indict Zapata, according to a source familiar with the investigation. Collins has also filed a lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court against Zapata and his colleagues. The DA’s office declined to comment.
Zapata is on desk duty, with no gun or shield, monitoring video cameras at a Housing Bureau command. Police documents indicate he suffered a fractured or broken bone during the incident.