PBA President's statement on the Not Guilty verdict for a man who bit off a piece of a Police Officer's finger

Ainsley Johnson was found not guilty of biting off the middle finger of Police Officer Michael Hawk’s left hand during an altercation after Johnson was arrested for allegedly breaking a car’s window

PBA president Patrick J. Lynch said:

“This absolutely outrageous verdict demonstrates how little value our society is placing on police officers’ lives and safety.  P.O. Hawk permanently lost part of his finger because he was trying to do his job, using the necessary amount of force to place a resisting perp in handcuffs. His injury was apparently worth nothing to this judge, who prejudged the case from the start and prevented the jury from hearing important evidence. The verdict sends a clear and disturbing message: today, you can literally take a piece out of a New York City police officer and suffer absolutely no consequences for it.”