NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A grand jury has reduced the charges against a man accused in the beating of an off-duty police officer that was caught on video.
Hayden Holder, 29, who was originally charged with attempted murder in the Nov. 17 beating of off-duty NYPD Sgt. Mohammed Deen, was arraigned Monday in Queens. The entire incident was captured on cellphone video and later posted to Facebook.
The attack occurred early in the morning on Liberty Avenue in Queens, and officials said both men had been drinking that night. Investigators have determined Deen was not blameless in the incident and may have instigated the fight, CBS 2″s Lou Young reported.
Holder now stands charged with felony assault and remains held without bail. He still faces up to 25 years in prison.
His parents said they are grateful the charges have been reduced.
“They’re portraying my son as somebody who he’s not,” Holder’s stepfather, Patrick Jagdeo, said as he was overcome by tears.
“He is a very good kid,” Holder’s mother, Madonna Jagdeo, said.
Police officers who came to the courtroom to show their support for Deen were disappointed by the reduced charges.
“These guys all came out here to support him and show that they really care that he was the victim of a crime” said Vincent Guida of the Sergeants Benevolent Association.
“We’re disappointed in the fact that the charges were reduced, but we’re just hopeful that the court system works the way it’s supposed to work,” said Paul Capotosto, also of the Sergeants Benevolent Association.
Deen is out of the hospital and undergoing therapy. He may have lost vision in one eye as a result of the beating, Young reported.
The aggravated assault trial is expected to get under way in the spring.
