Bronx NYPD officer convicted of illegal chokehold and strangulation

A Bronx police officer, Omar Habil, who had served since 2007, was convicted on Thursday of second-degree strangulation, third-degree assault and unlawful restraint after a July 28, 2023 arrest turned violent. Prosecutors said Habil placed a suspect, Lord Nymaah, in a chokehold that caused temporary loss of consciousness, violating the city’s post-George Floyd ban on the tactic. The jury’s verdict marks the first conviction under the misdemeanor provision that bans chokeholds for NYPD officers.

After the incident, Habil was reassigned to a surveillance unit before being formally dismissed by the department. The Police Benevolent Association denounced the decision, arguing it reflects a broader trend of legal pressure on officers. Habil remains in custody on Rikers Island pending a September court appearance.