Cop convicted of New Year’s Day pistol-whip assault sentenced to 2 months

June 26, 2019 Noah Goldberg

Former NYPD Officer Michael Baror (center)was sentenced in Brooklyn Supreme Court Wednesday to 60 days in jail. Eagle photo by Noah Goldberg

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An off-duty Brooklyn cop convicted of rear-ending and then pistol-whipping and beating a driver with handcuffs was sentenced to 60 days behind bars on Wednesday.

Transit Officer Michael Baror was driving his Jeep Cherokee in Midwood on New Year’s Day in 2018 when he flashed his lights and then rear-ended the car in front of him.

A Brooklyn jury found that he then got out of the car and assaulted the driver of the car in front of him with his pistol and handcuffs. Baror got back into his car and drove away, and the victim followed in his own car. Both cars were speeding and ran red lights during the chase, and eventually the victim slammed his car into Baror’s, prosecutors said.

Baror was arrested the next day — after shaving his head and beard and removing illegal lights and sirens from his car, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney. He was charged and convicted of assault, criminal possession of a weapon, leaving the scene of an incident without reporting, reckless driving and other charges.

“He put his own interest of getting away above that of society,” said Assistant District Attorney Kelli Muse before sentencing. “He abused his authority in the most egregious way, Your Honor.”

Muse asked Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun to sentence Baror to one year in prison.

Baror said Wednesday that he had evidence to prove his innocence. “I have, from my side, evidence to clear me from numerous of these charges, and I was not allowed to bring this to trial,” Baror told Chun.

But Chun said the former officer was “in denial” about the crime he committed, which was caught on the victim’s dashboard camera.

“I am simply flabbergasted. The entire crime is on video. The entire incident is on dash cam where you are assaulting the complainant with handcuffs,” said Chun. “The entire crime is on video in excellent movie quality … The District Attorney didn’t have to do anything. They could have sat back and played the video and not done anything else,” Chun said.

The victim in the case also sued the city and Baror in April — after the conviction — over the beating.

“Don’t f-ck with the NYPD,” Baror allegedly yelled at the victim and his girlfriend outside their car, before assaulting the victim with handcuffs, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also claims that the city — through an NYPD psychologist — was aware that Baror “lacked necessary anger management skills, and tended to behave in an impulsive, reckless and careless fashion.”

“There is no place on the streets of Brooklyn for road rage,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. “This defendant’s aggressive and violent behavior escalated to an assault — criminal conduct that was made worse by the fact that he was a police officer at the time. He has now been held accountable.”