Bratton Calls Officers ‘Embarrassment’ to Department After Prisoner Escapes
(DNAINFO) Ethan Harfenist and Jeff Mays | October 20, 2015 — Police Commissioner Bill Bratton lambasted several NYPD officers from the 75th Precinct after they let a prisoner escape their custody on Tuesday morning.
“They are an embarrassment to themselves, to their unit and to the department,” the normally stoic Bratton said at a press conference. “I’m not going to tolerate it.”
The prisoner, Gerald Brooks, 39, was picked up by the warrant squad about 5:45 a.m. Tuesday on at least five outstanding warrants, according to the NYPD.
In spite of having his hands cuffed behind his back while leaving the 75th precinct at 654 Sheffield Ave., Brooks was able to “bump” a sergeant away and escape about 7:30 a.m., police said. Officers were trying to transfer him to another precinct in Brooklyn at the time, officials said.