Migrant sentenced for kicking cop in Times Square brawl
- Darwin Andres Gomez-Izquiel, a 19-year-old Venezuelan migrant, was sentenced to one year in prison for kicking an NYPD officer during a brawl in Times Square.
- The incident occurred on January 27 outside a migrant shelter and involved multiple defendants, with five cases still active.
- The police union criticized the sentence as too lenient, arguing that attacks on officers should result in longer prison terms.
On January 27, a violent altercation occurred in Times Square involving a group of migrants and NYPD officers. Darwin Andres Gomez-Izquiel, a 19-year-old Venezuelan migrant, was sentenced to one year in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree assault for kicking an officer during the brawl. This incident was captured on video and has drawn significant attention due to its chaotic nature and the involvement of multiple individuals. Gomez-Izquiel's sentencing took place in Manhattan Supreme Court, where Judge Laura Ward warned him about the consequences of future arrests, indicating that he could become a predicate felon. He is the second individual sentenced in connection with the brawl, following Kevlin Servita Arocha, who received time served. The altercation took place outside a migrant shelter located at West 42nd Street near Seventh Avenue, highlighting ongoing tensions surrounding the migrant situation in New York City. Five other defendants involved in the incident have active cases, with one, Yohenry Brito, recently rearrested for theft while out on bail. The police union criticized the one-year sentence as insufficient, arguing that such actions against law enforcement should warrant harsher penalties. Patrick Hendry, chief of the Police Benevolent Association, expressed that Gomez-Izquiel should face a longer prison term, emphasizing the need for accountability in cases of violence against police officers.