Shocking moment man in medical mask sucker punches NYPD cop who was arresting a suspect in the Bronx

The unidentified cop was assisting his partner in the arrest of 27-year-old robbery suspect Yoemdy Castro, according to the New York Post. 

A second cop was reportedly hit in another off-camera incident when they attended to the scene. 

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An NYPD cop is filmed being punched around the head by an onlooker in the Bronx

The man flees up the street to escape and it said to have been arrested later in Tuesday

The video, published to Twitter, shows a crowd of onlookers watching and commenting as the arrest takes place on the sidewalk. 

The robbery suspect is lying on the ground with one cop standing over him pinning him down, while a woman kneels down on the ground beside them. 

'I'm recording this s**t,' one onlooker says as people continue to shout. 

The second cop is standing to the side and looks down on the arrest as a man wearing a face mask, black sunglasses and a black cap walks behind him. 

The man rushes forward toward the cop as he first walks past but stops without the cop, who has his back to him, noticing. 

He continues to walk away circling around the arrest before turning back and hitting the cop straight in the head, knocking off his winter cap. 

Officers were making an arrest in University Heights when an onlooker punched the cop seen standing here. They were making an arrest on a robbery suspect pictured here in the ground

The attacker, seen here standing in the center of the video, first waked behind the cop seen standing to the left before he walked back toward him and punched him around the head

The cop is shown here being hit from behind as he watched the arrest in Tuesday evening

The cop making the arrest quickly stands but the punched officer regains his composure enough to unlatch his taser from his belt and turn around to face his attacker. 

He fires the taser but it is unclear whether it hit.  

 'What the f**k', onlookers are heard shouting as the suspect begins to run up the street. 

'What was that s**t about?' 

'Run,' others shout as the attacked officer begins to chase after him. 

The yellow taser is seen being held by the cop as he tries to stop his attacker

The man runs away as onlookers encourage him to escape in the shocking video

Onlookers turn and begin to follow them both up the street as the cop making the arrest is left looking after the first suspect. 

According to the New York Post, the attacker was found in a bodega and arrested later on Tuesday.  

Charges against him are said to be pending.  

They also report that a second officer was hit in off-camera incident and that the suspect in that assault has also been arrested and charged with assault and obstructing governmental administration. 

The video was shared and criticized by the Sergeants Benevolent Association, a large union comprised of approx 13,000 active and retired sergeants of the NYPD. 

'NYC people are dying, and suffering as COVID-19 plagues thousands but the same scumbags continue to roam the streets of NYC and attack NYPD cops,' it said.

'Sadly the wrong people are suffering. Welcome to DeBlasios NYC.'

The Sergeants Benevolent Association criticized the video on Twitter 

There are fears of a breakdown in law and order in New York as the city's key agencies feel the brunt of the coronavirus.

The NYPD has reported that up to a sixth of its force, or around 6,500 members called out sick towards the end of last week and the numbers are not expected to improve over the coming days.

Things are even worse at the FDNY with the number of those having to stay at home because of the disease even higher.

One in four members of its EMT paramedic team, about 4,000 people, are currently having to stay off work. 

Among firefighters as a whole, around 17 percent are off on sick leave.

The combined number of FDNY firefighters and paramedics no longer able to work is around 3,000 according to NBC4.  

As of Sunday April 5, 1,843 uniformed members and 274 civilian members have tested positive for the coronavirus.  The NYPD has reported that up to a sixth of its force called out sick towards the end of last week and numbers are not expected to improve over the coming days

The city's cops say they are sacrificing their own health during the pandemic in order to protect New York residents and with with every new arrest comes a risk of infection

The absence of key emergency response workers comes at a crucial time for the city as the coronavirus has led to an all-time high in the sheer number of 911 calls coming in with new records being set almost every day over the last week. 

To put in some perspective, a 'busy day' would normally consist of around 4,000 calls, however last Monday the FDNY had to deal with more than 6,500. 

'It's a stressful job at the best of times,' the police commissioner, Dermot F. Shea last week. 'Right now, I don't think you can imagine a worse point of time.'

Officers are falling sick in areas that endure some of the highest crime rates including the Bronx, Washington Heights and Harlem.

Some precincts reported up to a third of their members were unable to report for duty, according to the New York Times, and there are no guidelines that dictate exactly what should be done.