Officer Ronald Taylor faces
misdemeanor assault and harassment charges for August 2013 incident. Taylor
allegedly punched Fernando Rios repeatedly, rupturing his eardrum and breaking
his nose.
BY ROCCO PARASCANDOLA AND
THOMAS TRACY / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Internal affairs officers
arrested a Bronx cop Thursday for pummeling a shoplifter he arrested at a
Target store near Yankee Stadium, law enforcement sources said.
Officer Ronald Taylor, 44,
faces misdemeanor assault and harassment charges for the August 2013 beatdown,
officials said.
Taylor was on duty when he was
called to the Exterior St. Target to arrest Fernando Rios for shoplifting just
after 9:30 p.m, officials said. During the arrest, Taylor allegedly punched
Rios repeatedly on the left side of his face, rupturing the would-be thief’s
eardrum and breaking his nose.
Rios was mouthing off to Taylor
and may have spit on the officer before he was attacked, law enforcement
sources said.
Taylor, who joined the force in
1999 and who has spent most of his career in the Bronx, works in the Property
Clerk’s Division. He was released without having to post bail at his
arraignment on Thursday morning and is expected to respond to the charges in
April, officials said.
“After a thorough and complete
investigation and after the true facts are revealed, my client will be
exonerated,” Taylor’s attorney Craig Hayes said.
If convicted of the existing
charges, Taylor would face up to a year in jail.
Rios was charged with
shop-lifting, law enforcement sources said.