An NYPD officer caught on video standing by and watching as a lieutenant was ruthlessly beaten on a subway car by two men in the Bronx has been suspended, officials said.
Police Officer Manual Morales, who has almost 20 years on the job, can be seen in the 68-second clip holding a subway door and watching from the platform as Lt. Gypsy Pichardo was beaten on Nov. 11 at the 238th Street No. 1 train station, police sources said.
Pichardo, 53, and Morales responded to the scene because of a report of a knife fight around 9 p.m. and ordered the men off the train when the lieutenant was allegedly attacked.
The two men repeatedly punched Pichardo in the face and body in the corner of the subway car, the video shows.
Morales, who made $144,986 in 2022, was suspended two days later, records show.
“The officer is currently modified pending an ongoing internal affairs investigation,” an NYPD spokesperson said.
“The lieutenant is recovering at home from his injuries.”
Other officers were quick to call out Morales.
“That’s an act of cowardice,” a veteran police officer who viewed the footage said.
“He shouldn’t be on the job if he’s not going to help other officers.”
Another longtime police officer called the video that shows the cop standing back during the beating “embarrassing.”
“He oughta retire now,” the police officer said.
“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.”
The veteran cop said he counsels younger men and women on the job to get involved and do whatever they have to do to help other cops who are under attack.
“Pull their hair if you have to,” he said he tells younger officers.
“Kick them if you have to. It’s a full fight.”
Another senior police officer said he didn’t excuse the lack of action but blamed City Council rules that dictate how cops can make arrests and the Civilian Complaint Review Board for taking cops to administrative trial for doing their jobs.
“I’m not saying what he did is ok, but they made it this way,” the cop said.
“Nobody wants to put their hands on anyone anymore.”
Morales has had four complaints and 11 allegations lodged against him since he joined the NYPD in 2004, records show.
One complainant was uncooperative, five complaints were withdrawn, four were unfounded and one was unsubstantiated, the record shows.
Marquise Webb and Brian Innocent, both 24, were arrested for the alleged beating, police said.
They were charged with assault on a police officer, criminal possession of a weapon, resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental administration, records show.
Both were held on $40,000 cash bail or $120,000 bond and were jailed on Rikers Island.
Another cop was beaten on Monday at a Bronx subway station after the officer and his partner asked the suspects to put out their cigarettes.
Lieutenants Benevolent Association President Lou Turco said criminals have no fear because they know they’re unlikely to face punishment for scuffling with cops in most cases.
“I’m shocked by the video but I’m not surprised,” he said.
“We’ve been witnessing officers being assaulted and we see it more and more.”
Morales could not be reached and his union, the Police Benevolent Association, didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment.