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Undercover "Biker Cop" Guilty Of Assault & Riot Charges In SUV Driver Beatdown
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jun 9, 2015
Modified Jun 9, 2015
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jun 9, 2015
Modified Jun 9, 2015
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A judge has found NYPD Detective Wojciech Braszczok guilty of assault and riot charges for his role in the 2013 attack on a motorist and his family by a gang of bikers.
According to the Daily News, the judge acquitted Braszczok of the most serious charges, first degree assault and first degree gang assault, for which he would have faced up to 25 years in prison. As it stands now, he faces seven years for his offenses.
Video showed Braszczok smashing out the rear window of Alexian Lien's Range Rover, before delivering a few round-house kicks to the vehicle as his fellow bikers dragged Lien out and beat him.
"It's a reaction," Braszczok testified last week. "It's not an intentional one."
"In my mind, the situation was unsafe, and I just left," he continued. "I wish I could have done more, but I already made the decision that I was going to leave. I wish that I could have done more to help the driver."
Yet Braszczok, who spied on Occupy Wall Street for the NYPD, was clear about why he fled the scene and left Lien and his family to fend for themselves: "My core concern is for me. So I'm leaving."
Before the Hollywood Block Party biker rally, Braszczok texted his NYPD handler, telling him there'd be "mayhem," but later adding that he was "kidding."
According to the Post, Assistant Manhattan DA Joshua Steinglass told the judge that this proved that Braszczok “went into that rally looking to cause trouble, it’s no coincidence he found trouble.”
Braszczok's co-defendant, Robert Sims, was convicted of attempted gang assault and attempted assault, and is facing a minimum of three and a half years in prison. A release from the Manhattan DA's office states that Braszczok will be sentenced on August 5, Sims the day after. Both men are free on bail until then.
Tagged
motorcycle rally road rage
wojciech braszczok
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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