The Assault Suspect the NYPD Was Looking for Was an NYPD Cop Himself
NYPD officer Mirjan Lolja turned himself in to a Harlem precinct this week after security camera footage of him fleeing a Bronx subway station, the scene of an alleged attack on an MTA employee, aired on the news.
Lolja reportedly attacked a female MTA worker around 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 23 who was on a platform of the East Tremont Avenue station announcing service changes. Apparently upset about the announcement, Lolja allegedly assaulted the woman, grabbing her from behind, throwing her to the floor, and choking her before fleeing. The woman was hospitalized for neck and back injuries. From the New York Daily News:
The officer said he fought with the conductor after she cursed at him for asking when the next train would arrive. When he demanded her ID and took out his phone to take a picture of her, she grabbed it, prompting a struggle, he alleged.
Police released security footage of Lolja supposedly fleeing the subway stop after the attack aired on local news; CBS New York reports Lolja turned himself in to the precinct where he's worked for seven years after seeing the clip on TV.
"I'm totally outraged," Joe Costales, chairman of Transport Workers Union Local 100, told the Daily News. "We're not safe with members of the public, and now we're not safe from the police."
