Bronx NYPD officer found guilty on all counts in landmark illegal chokehold case
Omar Habib was taken to Rikers following Thursday's outcome in court. He was the first officer charged in the Bronx under a city statue that was passed in the wake of the George Floyd case in 2020.
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A jury found a Bronx NYPD officer guilty on all counts in an illegal chokehold case on Thursday - over three years after the incident, according to the Bronx District Attorney's Office.
Omar Habib, 41, was taken to Rikers following Thursday's outcome in court. He was the first officer charged in the Bronx under a city statute that was passed in the wake of the George Floyd case in 2020.
The law, titled "Unlawful methods of restraint," barred officers from using chokeholds or other forms of restraint that restrict the detainees' ability to breathe.
Prosecutors say Habib was found guilty of second-degree strangulation, third-degree assault and unlawful methods of restraint.
According to officials, the crime unfolded when Habib, who was assigned to the 47th Precinct, responded to a call at a catering hall on Eastchester Road on July, 29, 2023. Here, he encountered an intoxicated, disorderly man who refused to be placed under arrest.
According to court records, Habib placed the man in a chokehold that was tight enough to impede the man's breathing and cause him to lose consciousness.
Habib was indicted on Aug. 8, 2024. Jury selection in his case kicked off last month.
Habib is due back in court on Sept. 10 for defense motions. His sentencing date has not been set as of Thursday evening.
Public police records say Habib, who started his career with the NYPD in 2007, has racked up a slew of complaints and allegations, excluding the chokehold case. These include physical force, abuse of authority and discourtesy.
He has been named in six known lawsuits, which resulted in a total settlement amount of $854,000.
A spokesperson for the NYPD issued the following statement:
"Immediately following the incident, members of the Internal Affairs Bureau responded, initiated an investigation, and referred the incident to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office.
Upon criminal conviction of a felony, a uniformed member of the service will vacate their civil service title and be terminated as a matter of law."
Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry provided the statement below:
"This verdict is just further proof of a grim reality: every second police officers spend on this job puts them at risk of criminal prosecution, and pervasive anti-police propaganda has made it incredibly difficult to receive a fair trial based on nothing but the facts and the law. While this police officer chose to retain his own counsel from the outset of the case, we will continue to support him as he appeals this decision.”
