Anti-police sentiment has been on the rise in recent years, as have physical attacks against individual officers across the nation.

In one particularly vicious example, a New York City police officer was severely beaten while aboard a subway car as a subordinate officer reportedly looked on without intervening.

After Lt. Gypsy Pichardo was savagely assaulted by a pair of subjects, another 20-year veteran NYPD officer was placed on modified duty in response to his apparent inaction. The incident occurred on the evening of Nov. 11 after Pichardo and officer Manual Morales responded to a report of a knife fight at the 238th Street station in the Bronx.

The lieutenant reportedly sustained facial injuries, including a slash under his eye by a box cutter-wielding suspect. Fortunately, Chief Michael Kemper of the agency’s transit department indicated that despite “some serious injuries to his face, including just about eight stitches to his face,” Pichardo is expected to make a full recovery. 

The New York Police Department said officers arrested two men who are accused of beating and slashing a uniformed officer as he tried to remove them from a subway station in the Bronx over the weekend. https://t.co/0rJA5cqmKs

— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) November 14, 2023

“And the two individuals that were arrested for that — hopefully, there’s strong consequences on them,” Kemper added.

Two days after the attack, Morales was placed on suspension and an internal affairs investigation into the situation was still underway as of the latest updates provided by the NYPD. The veteran officer was allowed to work on a modified status without access to his gun as the probe continued.

One unnamed officer expressed outrage that Morales was allowed to remain in uniform at all.

“That’s an act of cowardice,” the officer said. “He shouldn’t be on the job if he’s not going to help other officers.”

Upon viewing the graphic footage that appears to show Morales decline to come to Pichardo’s aid, another officer described the situation as “embarrassing,” adding: “He ought to retire now. Apparently, he didn’t even call for help. He claims he did but there were no radio transmissions. He didn’t have his body camera on.”

While Morales’ actions — or lack thereof — sparked universal denunciation by fellow cops, not everyone believes he was entirely to blame. Another NYPD source cited city ordinances that have made officers afraid to intervene in situations out of fear that they could face legal retaliation “for doing their jobs.”

The officer acknowledged that he does not believe what Morales did “is OK,” he said that the city council “made it this way” and that “nobody wants to put their hands on anyone anymore.”