Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg DEFENDS releasing migrants accused of attacking cops in Times Square – as Supreme Court Judge slams him for prosecuting COVID-19 vaccine card dodgers while letting violent perps walk

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has defended the decision to release a group of migrants who allegedly attacked police officers in Times Square, while a Supreme Court judge condemned him for prosecuting COVID vaccine card dodgers.

Seven suspects were arrested and charged with robbery and assault following a vicious attack on NYPD officers in Times Square last Saturday.

Four of those allegedly involved were released without bail. It is now feared they may have fled to California by bus with the help of a church-linked migrant charity.

When confronted by reporters about his decision on Friday, Bragg refused to participate and walked away without answering questions.

You hear one reporter ask ‘why were those migrants released?’, while another says ‘do you regret it?’ Do you regret releasing these migrants?’

Bragg kept his mouth shut the entire time and refused to engage with the group that followed him to his car.

At a press conference later that day, Bragg defended the move to release the group, stating that it was based on evidence available at the time.

He said: ‘While the video is shocking and disturbing, to secure convictions in court it is essential that we are able to definitively identify each suspect.

“In Manhattan, we do not tolerate or condone attacks on police officers. I watched the tape this week. Despicable behavior. It made me sick and furious.”

Yohenry Brito, 24, was arraigned Thursday in Manhattan Criminal Court and is the only one of the suspects being held on bail.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said the $15,000 bond or $50,000 bond was justified because Brito was positively identified in the video of the attack by a “clear tattoo.”

The brazen attack happened around 8:30 p.m. when officers tried to disperse a disorderly group in front of 220 West 42 Street.

A fight broke out between a suspect in a yellow sweatshirt and the police officers.

According to the NYPD, the migrants then began attacking the officers, kicking them in the head and body, while the two officers attempted to pin one of the other men down and remove his sweatshirt.

The migrants then ran away and fled east on 42nd Street toward Seventh Avenue.

Around 10:44 p.m. that evening, four of them — Darwin Andres Gomez Izquiel, 19, Kelvin Servat Arocha, 19, Juarez Wilson, 21, and Yorman Reveron, 24 — were arrested.

They were all charged with assault on a police officer, gang assault, obstruction of governmental administration and disorderly conduct, but were released without bail.

Gomez, Arocha, Juarez and Reveron allegedly gave false names to a church-affiliated nonprofit that helps migrants get rides out of the city, law enforcement sources told the Post.

Three of the men – Izquiel, Arocha and Wilson – were released on their own recognizance, meaning they were released without bail while their cases were pending.

Reveron was granted supervised release without bail. He already has two open cases for assault and theft in Manhattan after stealing and assaulting a Nordstrom Rack employee in November.

Earlier this week, Supreme Court Justice Brendan T. Lantry criticized Bragg and dismissed the misdemeanor charges filed by his office against two New Yorkers who purchased counterfeit COVID vaccine cards.

In a ruling, Lantry called the case exaggerated and dismissed the charges against them, the two unknown individuals.

Nursing student JO and RV, a Department of Environmental Protection employee, were among hundreds accused of purchasing the fake document from stripper Jasmine Clifford.

Clifford allegedly sold hundreds of fake vaccination cards for $200 each to jab dodgers in the New York City area.

Lantry said Bragg’s office had “the icing on the cake” of prosecuting and charging him with misdemeanor criminal possession of a forged instrument, police said. New York Post.

In the opinion filed Tuesday, Lantry said Bragg’s office “routinely takes steps to dismiss significantly more serious charges or full charges to avoid harsher sentences for previously convicted criminals or to avoid jeopardizing people’s immigration status.” ‘

It added: “These motions filed (by Bragg and his prosecutors) are filed months or even years after the 45-day period has expired to prosecute sexual assault, drug sales, theft, burglary, and other violent and non-violent serious crimes.” to point out. .’

Since taking office in 2022, Bragg has come under fire for seeking no prison time on certain charges and reducing misdemeanor charges in a slew of cases, including armed robberies and some drug offenses.

The migrant crisis previously affected southern states near the border, such as Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.

But the issue is increasingly affecting cities such as New York, Boston and Chicago, as buses filled with thousands of migrants are sent to Democratic-run areas of the US.

The humanitarian crisis has put increasing pressure on Democrats, including President Joe Biden, as the number of people crossing the border reaches unprecedented levels.

A record 300,000 migrants crossed the U.S. southern border in December, the highest number ever, according to a new report.

New York City in particular has struggled under the weight of tens of thousands of migrants arriving at its borders in need of places to stay and other accommodations.

In 2023 alone, the city had to deal with the arrival of more than 100,000 migrants.

Adams has repeatedly requested federal assistance to house and feed the migrants in the city, but has been denied.

New York is a Right to Shelter state and is required to house asylum seekers, but shelters have been filling up at an astronomical rate.

In Manhattan, a number of historic hotels have been converted into makeshift shelters and temporary housing.

In September, Hochul said, “We have to make it known that if you come to New York, you won’t have more hotel rooms, we don’t have capacity.

‘So we must also make it clear that we have reached the limit: if you are going to leave your country, go somewhere else.’