Suspects in attack of off-duty NYPD officer indicted by grand jury

Thursday, June 5, 2025
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The suspects accused of pummeling an off-duty NYPD police officer last month in the Bronx have been indicted by a grand jury.

One of them, Wayne Lucas, 23, was extradited from Virginia and was arraigned on the indictment Thursday morning.

He pleaded entered a not guilty plea inside a courtroom packed with police officers.

Lucas and his co-defendant, Taveon Hargrove, 23, were indicted for allegedly brutally beating an off-duty NYPD officer in the Bronx last month.

The attack was captured on surveillance video and prosecutors say it continued even after the two suspects realized their victim was a member of the NYPD.



Prosecutors say the suspects stole officer's wallet, phone and loaded service weapon. The 27-year-old victim was stomped in the head during the assault.

Officer Chowdhury Nafees was released from the hospital last week, but still faces a long road to recovery.

Both suspects were caught in Virginia. Lucas was wearing a wig as a disguise as he left a house in Richmond in an unsuccessful attempt to conceal his identity.

Hargrove remains in Virginia, fighting extradition.

----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* More New York City news
* Send us a news tip
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Follow us on YouTube

Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News

Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Copyright © 2026 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.