Former NYPD Officer Convicted of Assault by Punching Man Six Times

Former officer Juan Perez was found guilty Thursday after a two-day trial in court for attacking Borim Husenaj in the Greenwich Village neighborhood on Nov. 10, 2021.

“Today, a judge found former NYPD Officer Perez guilty of assault by striking an individual six times in the face,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement. “Members of law enforcement hold important positions of trust in our City, and holding those who violate that trust accountable is essential to continued public safety.”

According to a criminal complaint filed last year, Perez and his partner were responding to a radio call when they saw Husenaj acting erratically and holding a bottle of liquor. After a verbal altercation, Perez pushed Husenaj against a wall and attempted to handcuff him, prosecutors said.

Both Perez and Husenaj fell to the ground, and Perez “quickly struck the victim in the face” as he “lay defenseless on the ground,” prosecutors said.

Husenaj, who was 26 at the time, was being treated for a broken nose and suffered “emotional and psychological injuries, pain, suffering, mental anguish, economic and financial damages,” according to a lawsuit filed last year by his estate against Perez and New York City.

Perez retired from the police force last year. His attorney, Stuart London, told The New York Times that the officer “went to that location to assist an individual.”

“When this individual turned on him and attacked him, all he did was stop the threat,” London said.

Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association, said the verdict against Perez sent a “chilling message” to police officers.

“Officers are violently attacked on the streets every day,” Hendry said in a statement. “If this is what happens when we try to protect ourselves, we cannot protect the public. We believe this verdict ignores all the facts and we will support our police officer in appealing it immediately.”

In January 2022, Husenaj went to live with relatives in Kosovo. In March of that year, he committed suicide.

In their lawsuit, his estate argued that the “brutal attack and beating” exacerbated Husenaj’s anxiety and paranoia and were a “substantial factor” in his suicide.

Husenaj’s family thanked the prosecution and Judge Maxwell Wiley in a statement following Perez’s sentencing.

“Borim is gone to see justice served today and his name vindicated,” the family said, adding, “This was a great day for our family and all New Yorkers.”

Chris Dunn, legal director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, praised Bragg’s office for bringing the case. “When district attorneys prosecute officers, they send a clear message to officers that they are not above the law,” Dunn said. “We need more of that police accountability.”