An off-duty New York City firefighter allegedly walked up to an on-duty NYPD officer inside a Manhattan hospital and punched him in the face without warning, landing himself a misdemeanor assault charge and drawing fresh attention to the risks police officers face even in settings that should be safe.
The incident unfolded around 3:45 a.m. on Thursday, May 29, inside NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center on the Upper East Side, the New York Post reported. The firefighter, identified as 29-year-old Thomas Moran, was at the hospital in connection with what law enforcement sources described as a mental health crisis. The officer he allegedly struck was on duty at the time, assigned to the hospital.
What authorities say happened
Police sources told the Post that Moran approached the officer and punched him in the face in what appeared to be a random, unprovoked attack. The officer sustained minor injuries but did not require hospitalization beyond treatment at the scene. Moran was taken into custody at the hospital.
Moran was charged with misdemeanor assault on a police officer and harassment, according to the NYPD. He is a member of the FDNY, though the department has not publicly commented on his duty status or employment standing in the wake of the arrest…