A police officer in New York City was attacked by a group of people on Friday, WCBS-TV reports.
As many as nine people assaulted the officer, who was not wearing a uniform, around 6:30 p.m. Friday, according to the New York Post.
The New York Daily News described the assailants as “young men.”
Emergency crews responded after a witness called 911, WABC-TV reports.
The victim was hospitalized with injuries to his head, neck, shoulder and a knee, and he had visible bruising in those areas.
The attack occurred in Long Island City near 53rd Avenue while the officer was on his dinner break, according to WABC-TV.
The officer has been with the police department for 15 years, WABC-TV reports. He was able to fight back and had grabbed one of the attackers, but all of the assailants ran off, according to the Daily News.
Investigators have not yet established a motive, but the incident comes one day after a group of people attacked another jogger on Thursday.
As of Sunday morning, police had not made any arrests.
The Police Benevolent Association described the incident as “an apparently random assault during evening rush hour.”
Earlier this month, a man attempted to strangle an on-duty NYPD officer with a chain during a protest, according to the Post. That assailant, 30-year-old Levon Wheeler, has a history of assaults and other violence toward police officers, according to the newspaper.
Wheeler is being held in a psychiatric facility and is facing charges of disorderly conduct, assault, criminal obstruction of breathing, resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental administration.
[Feature image: NYPD]
