Police are searching for two men who allegedly sprayed a traffic enforcement agent in the face with a fire extinguisher in Harlem last week.
The bizarre incident unfolded on Saint Nicholas Avenue and West 118th on May 23 just before 7 a.m., authorities said. The victim, a 43-year-old male traffic enforcement cop, was on duty and in full uniform inside a marked police vehicle when the suspects pulled up alongside him in a gray sedan.
Cops say one of the suspects in the sedan allegedly rolled down the car window before spraying the fire extinguisher into the traffic agent’s face. The suspects then fled the scene, driving northbound on Saint Nicholas Avenue.
EMS transported the officer, who was suffering from eye irritation and pain, to St. Luke’s Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital. He was listed in stable condition.
Police say they have identified one of the attackers as 19-year-old Escarlin Polanco Gonzalez, who police say was previously arrested in December 2023 for reckless endangerment. The other suspect has yet to be identified. It is not immediately clear which of the suspects sprayed the fire extinguisher.
The NYPD has released images of both suspects.
Anyone with information in regard to the whereabouts of these individuals is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website or on Twitter @NYPDTips.
All calls are strictly confidential.
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