Officers slashed while scanning people into criminal court in Lower Manhattan
LOWER MANHATTAN (WABC) -- Two court officers were slashed while scanning people entering criminal court in Lower Manhattan on Monday morning.
The officers were attacked while working at the metal detectors at 100 Centre Street around 9:45 a.m.
One officer was slashed in the face and the other was slashed in the neck.
A third officer was pushed by the suspect into a barrier.
The court officers were taken to Bellevue Hospital and are said to be stable.
The 37-year-old suspect is in custody and charges are pending. Officials say he has 18 prior arrests -- many for drugs -- and a history of concerning behavior at the courthouse.
It appears he pushed his way past one officer trying to stop him from coming into the courthouse and slashed the other two.
"Several Court Officers immediately rushed to stop the assailant, subduing him near a bank of magnetometers, disarming him, and taking him into custody," a court spokesperson said. "The assaults, captured on surveillance video, appeared preliminarily to be a targeted attack of the uniformed officers working security details at the courthouse."
The suspect has three open cases, but it does not appear he had a court date on Monday. The suspect is being evaluated at Bellevue Hospital, according to police.
Law enforcement officials have been studying video of the attack, which was obtained by ABC News, that appears to show the suspect attempting to go through security before rushing at the officers.
NY State Supreme Court Officers Association President Patrick Cullen issued the below statement, demanding a safer environment for its members.
"Within just a couple of days of launching a widespread advocacy campaign making the public aware of the severe safety deficiencies in our courts, OCA was in Brooklyn draining more personnel resources, while in Manhattan Criminal Court, two Court Officers were stabbed with one officer sustaining serious wounds to his face and neck. What will it take for court leaders to take the appropriate action to secure these facilities? Our members aren't safe and neither is the public. The time to act is now!"
(ABC News contributed to this report.)
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