An NFL player was charged with assault after he allegedly punched an NYPD sergeant following his January arrest for fare evasion. He could face up to seven years in prison if convicted. The Detroit Lions linebacker, Trevor Bates, appeared before a Queens County grand jury on March 8. He was indicted on charges of assault,…

A 27-year-old man who attempted to rob a New York cellphone store was charged with two counts of robbery, as well as second-degree murder and second-degree aggravated manslaughter in connection with the fatal shooting of a NYPD detective. He was also charged with assault and menacing. The man was identified as Christopher Ransom. He was…

The NYPD issued a statement that two of its police officers received suspensions without pay due to their mishandling of a call regarding a disturbance at the home of a woman who had suffered abuse at the hands of her husband, and subsequently died. The officers drove to her home in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, but…

Self defense, also known as justification in New York State, can be used as a defense for individuals charged with assault, homicide or other violent crimes involving an injured person. The justification defense is usually employed for serious crimes when the defendant has harmed someone else, but their actions were justified because they were protecting…