On April 24, 2026, an on-duty NYPD officer was arrested and charged after video reportedly showed him repeatedly punching a man at the 149th Street–Grand Concourse subway station in the Bronx. The officer, identified by prosecutors as 33-year-old Joseph DeMaio, was arraigned in Bronx Criminal Court, where he pleaded not guilty. He was released on his own recognizance while the case continues.
As reported by Gothamist, prosecutors say body-worn camera footage and station surveillance video show DeMaio grabbing the man by his jacket, hauling him up a flight of stairs, pushing him through an emergency exit and then blocking him from getting back onto the platform. According to the criminal complaint, DeMaio is alleged to have punched the man multiple times before handcuffing him and can be heard saying, “What’s up? We can square up right now.” Prosecutors say the complaint, filed this week, stems from a December 21, 2024 encounter at the 149th Street–Grand Concourse station.
Officer’s past postings and unit
Public records and prior court filings place DeMaio in Transit District 11, the NYPD unit that patrols wide stretches of the northern Bronx. A Bronx District Attorney press release from 2024 lists DeMaio among the officers involved in an April 4, 2024 subway incident in which prosecutors say a man tried to push an officer toward an arriving train. That earlier case highlights the kinds of volatile confrontations transit officers face on platforms, but it is separate from and unrelated to the criminal complaint filed this week. The 2024 release is available from the Bronx District Attorney’s Office.
Court proceedings and record
In the current case, DeMaio was arraigned in Bronx Criminal Court on misdemeanor charges of attempted third-degree assault and official misconduct, according to prosecutors. He entered a not guilty plea and was released on his own recognizance. The Police Benevolent Association and DeMaio’s attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to Gothamist. The outlet also reports that city records compiled by 50a.org show no prior misconduct complaints for DeMaio.
What to watch next
Prosecutors say they will lean heavily on the body-worn camera and station surveillance footage as the case moves through Bronx Criminal Court, while any internal NYPD investigations could unfold on a separate track. Key milestones to watch include upcoming court dates, potential motions over what video the court can consider and any disciplinary decisions from the department. For now, the footage flagged by prosecutors sits at the center of the case and is likely to shape how judges and, if it gets that far, a jury views the confrontation on that Bronx subway platform.