Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictment of AKRAM JOUDEH, 32, for attacking an off-duty NYPD detective with a meat cleaver. The defendant is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, Assault in the First Degree, and Menacing a Police Officer, among other charges.[1]
“Akram Joudeh is accused of striking an NYPD Detective with a large meat cleaver in an attempt to evade arrest,” said District Attorney Vance. “I thank the members of the NYPD who bravely pursued this defendant as he ran through Midtown with a deadly weapon. Because of their courage, Joudeh was stopped before he could harm anyone else.”
According to documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court, at approximately 4:40 p.m. on September 15, 2016, on the corner of Broadway and West 30th Street in Midtown Manhattan, a witness saw JOUDEH attempting to remove an immobilization boot from his car, and called the police. Police Officers Robert Moti and Douglas LaPenta responded to the scene, inspected the defendant’s vehicle, and attempted to arrest the defendant for damaging the boot. JOUDEH then pulled out a meat cleaver and ran away from the officers.
The officers continued to chase JOUDEH as he ran to West 32nd Street between 6th and 7thAvenues. At that location, off-duty Detective Brian O’Donnell attempted to stop JOUDEH, and the defendant struck him in the head with the meat cleaver, causing a deep laceration which required surgery. Officers then subdued JOUDEH with gunshots to his body.
Assistant District Attorney Michael Pasinkoff is handling the prosecution of the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Lanita Hobbs, Chief of Trial Bureau 80, and Executive Assistant District Attorney John Irwin, Chief of the Trial Division. Assistant District Attorney Jeanne Olivo, Assistant District Attorney Victoria Meyer, Senior Investigative Analyst Ryan Yuffe, and Technology Analyst Matthew Brazaitis also assisted with the case.
[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.
Defendant Information:
AKRAM JOUDEH,
