One of alleged brutes who viciously beat and robbed an off-duty Bronx cop so severely last month that he still had a shoe print on his face a week later faced the music on Thursday.
Wayne Lucas, 23, refused to answer questions hurled at him as he took the handcuffed walk of shame from the 45th Precinct stationhouse at the hands of detectives on June 5.
Lucas, alongside alleged accomplice 23-year-old Taveon Hargrove, is accused of robbing and beating 27-year-old housing officer Chowdhury Nafees, who had only been on the job since September 2024, at knifepoint as he left work early on the morning of May 24.
Police said the duo allegedly leapt on Nafees on St. Peter’s Avenue just after 4 a.m. that morning, forcing him to the ground while displaying a knife, and pummeled him, even stomping on his head. The pair then rifled through his pockets and upon discovering the victim was a cop, continued the brutal assault.
Moments later, authorities said, the crooks fled with the victim’s cellphone, wallet and service weapon.
The brutal mugging left Nafees unconscious; he wound up spending four days in the hospital and underwent surgery for multiple fractures and other injuries before finally being released.
According to Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark’s office, Nafees had a sneaker print left on his face for over a week while he healed, and still suffers from vision loss.
Lucas was located in Virginia last week, where he had family ties, law enforcement sources said. He was cuffed while wearing a wig in an attempt to evade law enforcement.
Hargrove was also arrested in Virginia one day later, on May 28, and remains there as he contests the extradition process.
Show of force at arraignment
Just over an hour after being walked out of the 45th Precinct, Lucas appeared in Bronx Criminal Court Thursday morning on attempted murder charges. There to witness the proceedings were dozens of officers who stared through him as he pleaded not guilty.
Police Benevolent Association Patrick Hendry, head of the police union representing more than 30,000 rank-and-file cops, was among those who lined the courtroom. He railed against Lucas for allegedly leaving the rookie cop to die.
“He went and he put a knife to his throat, knowing he was a New York City police officer, punched him in the face repeatedly and left him to die on the street. Worse than that, he thought he was going to get away with it. The question is why did he think he was going to get away with it? He thought our criminal justice system wasn’t going to hold him accountable,” Hendry said. “New York City police officers are here today to let him know that’s not going to happen. We’re going to be here at every court appearance to make sure that this individual stays behind bars for a long, long time.”
Lucas closed his eyes as prosecutors rattled off the details of the horrendous crime. He was ordered held in custody without bail.
Hendry, meanwhile, called for the immediate return of alleged cohort Hargrove, who was also indicted for both the violent robbery and for allegedly using Nafees’ credit card.
After the proceeding Thursday, Bronx DA Clark wished Nafees well in his recovery and vowed to bring his attackers to justice.
“A rookie from just September did not deserve this, his job is to protect the very same people that caused him harm that day,” Clark said outside the Brons Supreme Court building while surrounded by NYPD officers. “We’re wishing him a speedy recovery. I hope he gets back to work, and I let him know that we were in pursuit of these individuals, that we will find justice for him, and that’s what we have done starting today.”
