Man Impersonating NYPD Arrested After Pepper-Spraying Tourist

Authorities said on June 30th that the man who allegedly pepper-sprayed a tourist at a subway station in lower Manhattan while impersonating an NYPD officer was an ex-con who served six years in jail. 

After 6:30 in the evening on June 23rd, Dominic Ogrady, who is also known by the pseudonym Domingo Diaz, was the cause of the peculiar incident that took place on the uptown R train platform at the Whitehall Street-South Ferry station.

According to the police, Ogrady (35) was at the train station when he saw a family exiting using an open exit without remitting the fares.  

Using a phony New York Police Department detective shield, he addressed a member of the family, a male who was 46 years old, but he was ignored by the individual.

According to the authorities, Ogrady stated that he was a legitimate police officer conducting an operation. He took out his cell phone and claimed that he was making an arrest for theft of service, which is an offense that includes fare evasion.

In response to the man’s attempt to flee, Ogrady pepper sprayed the back of the man’s head. 

The victim took a cab to a Hospital to get medical attention for the burns and swelling that were present on his face.

According to the police, Ogrady boarded an R train that went uptown. His departure from the 8th Street-NYU station was captured on security film that was obtained by the police.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) disseminated photographs of the suspect, along with the phony shield, and requested the assistance of the general public in identifying and locating him.

Later on, the investigators determined that the fake police officer was Ogrady. After being arrested with a handgun in Harlem on October 18, 2007, he was found guilty of weapons possession and sentenced to six years in jail. He was incarcerated under the identity of Domingo Diaz. He was released in 2014. Based on the information provided by the police, his criminal history includes charges of grand theft as well as ownership of a forged instrument.

In accordance with New York Penal Law § 190.26, criminal impersonation in the 1st degree is classified as a class E felony.  A person who is found guilty may be subject to a maximum term of up to four years in jail,  a probationary period, and/or a fine of up to five thousand dollars.