Long Island man punched a police officer several times in the face in another attack against NYPD officers

A New York Police Department (NYPD) officer was punched in the face by a 24-year-old Long Island man in Times Square early Sunday, authorities said, the latest attack in a series of violence.

The criminal allegedly attacked the uniformed officer after midnight when officers responded to a call of a troublemaker at Broadway and 42nd Street and were asked to leave the area, the NYPD said.

Identified as Michael Thomas, he is accused of punching the officer in the face repeatedly before being detained, officials said.

Additionally, the subject was charged with numerous charges including assault on a police officer, assault with intent to cause physical harm, disorderly conduct and harassment.

The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment of minor injuries, the New York Post reported.

Another officer was involved in a fight later Sunday as authorities approached for an arrest in Manhattan, police sources said.

The incident took place near the New York Public Library, around 1:45 p.m., almost at the same time and in the same place where there was a pro-Palestinian protest where some people were arrested.

For his part, Patrick Hendry, president of the PBA, harshly criticized the latest acts of violence against the Big Apple police.

“These assaults on police officers happen every day, but we are not going to allow them to disappear in the statistics anymore,” he said.

“We want New Yorkers to understand exactly what their police officers are facing. We need them to hold their elected leaders and the entire justice system accountable. Only in this way will the dangerous environment of our streets change.”

NYPD officers have faced a series of violent confrontations during their workday in recent weeks.

Last week, a group of migrants was detained in an attack caught on security cameras on January 27 against two officials in Times Square.

Likewise, a week earlier a driver hit an officer with his vehicle on the Upper East Side. The suspect, identified as Sahara Dula, was arrested in the incident on January 18 and charged with vehicular assault.

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