Two men have been indicted for attempted murder for allegedly attacking and robbing an off-duty NYPD officer in the Bronx over Memorial Day weekend, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced Thursday.
Taveon Hargrove, 23, of Seward Avenue in the Bronx, and Wayne Lucas, 23, of Chesterfield, Virginia, are accused of viciously beating Officer Chowdhury Nafees, 27, during an early morning robbery on May 24 in Westchester Square. Nafees, a rookie cop who joined the force in September 2024, was between shifts when the attack occurred.
According to the investigation, Hargrove and Lucas allegedly approached Nafees around 4:10 a.m. near St. Peter’s Avenue, held a knife to his neck and shoved him to the ground. Upon noticing that the victim was in uniform, the suspects allegedly punched him repeatedly and stomped on his head—leaving a sneaker imprint on his face.
They allegedly stole Nafees’ wallet, which contained bank cards; two cell phones, including one issued by the NYPD; and his Glock 19 service firearm before fleeing.
“The officer suffered head trauma, fractures to his left orbital bone and right cheekbone, and his face bore a sneaker print—evidence of the defendants’ blatant disregard for a human being,” said DA Clark in a statement.
Nafees was rushed to NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi and hospitalized for four days. Surveillance footage captured the violent assault, according to prosecutors.
The defendants fled the state following the incident. Hargrove was arrested in Virginia on May 27 and is currently fighting extradition to New York. Lucas was taken into custody a day later and arraigned in Bronx Supreme Court by Justice George Villegas, who ordered him remanded.
In total, the defendants were indicted on more than two dozen counts, including first-degree attempted murder, robbery, assault on a police officer, and multiple weapons and larceny charges.
In a separate development, Hargrove’s father, Jeffery Hargrove, was also indicted for allegedly using the officer’s stolen credit card. He faces charges of possession of stolen property and petit larceny.
