Police Release Video Of Man Punching And Breaking Officer's Nose

YONKERS, NY — After an officer was injured in what is being described as an unprovoked attack, the Yonkers Police Department commissioner said that a "gentle approach to punishing repeat felons" threatens to undermine public safety.

On September 6, Yonkers police officers responded to Yonkers Avenue in the area of Cypress Street on a report of a medical call for "a male down on the sidewalk." The officers located this man, confirmed he was breathing, and assisted him into an ambulance for required further treatment. A short time later, the man, identified as 39-year-old Johnny McCray, tried to exit the ambulance.

Body cam footage released by the department shows officers and EMTs patiently trying to convince McCray to remain in the ambulance. An officer can be hear telling McCray, "You'll feel a little better once you're sitting down, man."

"Come on," an EMT adds. "You'll feel a lot better."

The video appears to show McCray suddenly deliver an unprovoked punch to an officer’s face, breaking his nose, according to the YPD. Officers can be seen pulling McCray to the ground, where he was handcuffed.

McCray was charged with assault on a police officer, a felony, among other charges. He was remanded in Yonkers Criminal Court to the Westchester County Jail at his arraignment, pending a bail application hearing.

The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office requested a significant amount of bail for McCray, but police said he managed to convince a Westchester County Court judge to release him, awaiting his next court date, by offering an apology and mentioning an upcoming job interview.

McCray is already on parole through 2027 for an attempted robbery conviction from 2017, in which he served most of his 5-year prison sentence. Police said McCray is a repeat violent offender who, aside from punching a uniformed cop in the face, has a record of 13 total criminal convictions (6 felonies and 7 misdemeanors) dating back over 20 years.

"This situation involving the assault on one of our Yonkers Police Officers is the very definition of insanity," Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano said. "The justice system is consistently bailing out criminal offenders. This Officer is now out on leave and not able to do his job, while this offender is able to continue to make a living. How can any reasonable person expect that we can protect the public if we can’t even protect our Police Officers? We need to step up and re-commit to keep those proven to hurt and plague the community in jail where they belong. Period."

Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza said the message sent by the judge's decision makes it harder to keep the public safe.

"Every day, we ask our Police Officers to put their lives on the line to protect our community," Sapienza. "All we ask is that the justice system stands up for our Officers and all victims of crime with the punishments imposed in court. Criminal acts cannot come without repercussions. If we continue to tell offenders that crime, especially violent crime, is not taken seriously by the decisions made in our courts, we can be sure that judges’ inaction and gentle approach to punishing repeat felons will severely undermine and limit the effectiveness of any crime-fighting strategy."