Jose Bencosme, 22, has been indicted in the Bronx after prosecutors say he turned on FDNY EMTs who came to his Sedgwick Avenue apartment to help him, leaving two medics injured and one with a deep head wound that needed staples. The charges stem from an April 9 call to a Morris Heights building where crews say they were punched and beaten in a hallway while trying to render aid. Bencosme was arraigned and is due back in Bronx Supreme Court in August.
Bronx DA moves to prosecute
The Bronx District Attorney’s office said Bencosme was arraigned on two counts of second-degree assault, two counts of third-degree assault and two counts of second-degree harassment, according to Norwood News. Prosecutors said his supervised release status was continued at the arraignment and confirmed that he is expected back in court this August.
In its statement, the DA’s office underscored that first responders had “arrived at the defendant’s residence to render medical aid” and stressed that violence against frontline workers “will not be tolerated.”
What happened on April 9
According to NBC New York, EMTs were dispatched late on April 9 to the Sedgwick Avenue building for a report of an “altered mental status.” When they tried to assist, they were allegedly attacked in a hallway. Video and eyewitness accounts from the response showed blood and broken glass scattered across multiple hallways as additional crews forced their way in to reach the injured medics.
Police arrested Bencosme at the scene, and he was initially charged with assault…