DA Bragg Backs Off Attempted Homicide Charges for NYC Garage Worker Who Defended Himself After Blowback
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office has dropped an attempted murder charge against a garage security worker who disarmed and shot a suspected thief after being shot at in return. The incident happened on Saturday morning around 5:30 a.m. when Moussa Diarra, 57, a security guard, approached a man peering into parked cars on the second floor of the West 31st Street garage and asked to look inside his bag, suspecting him of theft. The suspect, Charles Rhodie, 59, allegedly pulled out a gun and shot Diarra twice when the two men grappled for control of the firearm. Diarra took possession of the gun and shot Rhodie in the chest. Both men were hospitalized in stable condition and were taken into custody pending an investigation.
Before dropping the attempted murder charge against Diarra, Bragg’s office had charged him with assault and criminal possession of a weapon. Authorities also charged Rhodie with attempted murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and burglary. However, after facing criticism from local media, Bragg’s spokesperson announced that prosecutors would back off Diarra, pending further investigation, reiterating that charges against Rhodie were still being pursued.
A cop who had learned of the attempted murder charge against Diarra said: “People like Alvin Bragg have made this city unsafe, and this worker is a victim defending himself.” Critics of Bragg have accused him of creating an unsafe city where criminals feel emboldened, and law-abiding citizens are weakened.
Bragg has faced backlash since assuming office in January 2022 over a memo instructing prosecutors to avoid seeking jail time for certain crimes, including robbery, assault, and gun possession. Bragg later updated the memo, acknowledging confusion, and emphasized that cases were to be handled on an individual basis. Despite this, crime statistics reported by The Daily Mail show that rapes, robberies, and assaults have all increased, with robberies spiking up to 20% and assaults and theft ranging from 12% to 25%.
Last year, a similar incident happened, and a bodega clerk named Jose Alba was charged with murder after stabbing and killing an attacker behind his counter in self-defense. Authorities locked Alba at the Rikers Island jail charged with murder for six days until Bragg dropped the charge following public outcry.
Victim Rights NY founder Jennifer Harrison appeared on Fox News and criticized Bragg for being “completely incompetent” amid Bragg’s name circling headlines ahead of former President Trump’s arraignment in Manhattan on Tuesday. Harrison accused Bragg of implementing soft-on-crime policies that made the city progressively worse, leading to criminals being above the law. Victim Rights NY has called for Bragg’s removal from office.
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