A Venezuelan illegal immigrant is set to serve 364 days in jail for kicking an NYPD officer during a brawl in Times Square on January 27, a sentence that the police union argues is too lenient, according to the New York Post.
Darwin Andres Gomez-Izquiel, 19, remained silent but smirked upon hearing his sentence after pleading guilty last month to second-degree assault for his role in a confrontation between police officers and a group of illegal immigrants. Currently, 75 percent of arrests in midtown Manhattan involve illegal immigrants.
The Police Benevolent Association criticized the sentence, arguing it fails to convey a strong enough message that assaults on police officers will not be tolerated. The union’s president, Patrick Hendry, expressed frustration that Gomez-Izquiel did not receive a harsher punishment.
“364 days is not enough. This individual should be behind bars a lot longer. If you attack a New York City police officer, you should stay behind bars,” Hendry said outside the courtroom. The judge hinted that Gomez-Izquiel could face a much longer sentence if he commits another crime.
“Mr. Gomez, if you get arrested again in New York State, you will be a predicate felon, and you will wind up upstate,” Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Laura Ward warned Gomez-Izquiel during sentencing. Gomez-Izquiel is the second member of the group to be sentenced; Kevlin Servita Arocha previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time served.
The surveillance footage, recorded on Jan. 27 outside a Manhattan homeless shelter, shows several men kicking officers on a sidewalk and trying to pry them off a man police had taken to the ground.
New York City has been grappling with the influx of illegal immigrants, who are housed in various shelters, ranging from former city government buildings to upscale hotels. In one case, Marriott International is suing a property now used as a migrant shelter.
According to a report from Resist Times, shows that up-to 75%, almost 3 in 4 people arrested in NYC are illegal immigrants. One homeless illegal immigrant that was arrested multiple times, when asked why he came to the US, he stated: “We wanted the American dream, but this is not what we expected.”
