Quick wits and good police work earned a civilian and two cops high praise and hearty applause at the 78th Precinct Community Council this week.
The cops, Officers Marc Mancini and Samuel Cuevas, were on routine patrol on April 27 when just after midnight, a call of a robbery in progress came over the radio.
The cops picked up the victim in the vicinity of 203 13th Street, where they obtained a detailed description of the three alleged attackers, according to Deputy Inspector John Argenziano, the commanding officer of the precinct.
As the duo canvassed the neighborhood, one of the suspects was spotted on Ninth Street between Third and Fourth avenues. Cuevas jumped out of the car to pursue on foot, while Mancini followed in the squad car.
During the chase, the cops noticed the suspect allegedly tossed something in a nearby garbage pail, Argenziano said.
The pursuit did not last long: The cops nabbed the suspect without incident, and recovered a “black firearm” in the trash, the deputy inspector said.
The victim gave a positive identification, and was able to recover a laptop and other property that was nearly gone for good, Argenziano said.
For their efforts, the officers were named “Cops of the Month” at the council’s May 27 meeting.
Also honored was Shimon Lichtenstein, a longtime civilian volunteer at the precinct.
Earlier in the month, Lichtenstein, who is also a religious liaison for the precinct, was patrolling the vicinity of Prospect Park when he saw a woman in distress.
She told him a “man touched her buttocks” by West Drive and Seventh Street, Argenziano said.
Lichtenstein quickly contacted a sergeant from the precinct, who was able to grab the suspect and charge him with sexual abuse and forcible touching.
“It’s greatly appreciated all the things you do,” Pauline Blake, the president of the community council, told Lichtenstein.
