Rookie cop arrested in Brooklyn for strangling female relative, 22: NYPD – New York Daily News

Incident Report: Domestic Dispute Involving Law Enforcement Personnel

Details of the Incident

• Date and Time: Early Friday morning, approximately 3:00 a.m.
• Location: An apartment building on Argyle Rd. near Newkirk Ave. in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn.
• Suspect: Sajid Mehmood, 24, a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer.
• Victim: A 22-year-old female family member.
• Charges: Strangulation and assault.

Suspect’s Professional Background

• Joined NYPD: April 2024.
• Current Assignment: 62nd Precinct in Bensonhurst (since August).
• Previous Assignment: 66th Precinct in Borough Park.

Analysis in the Context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 5: Gender Equality

This incident represents a significant setback for the achievement of Gender Equality, specifically targeting the elimination of violence against women.

1. Violation of Target 5.2: The alleged act of strangulation and assault is a direct contravention of the goal to eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres.
2. Barrier to Equality: Domestic violence is a critical barrier to achieving gender equality, perpetuating harm and undermining the safety and empowerment of women.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

The involvement of a police officer undermines the principles of peace, justice, and the integrity of public institutions.

1. Erosion of Institutional Trust: When a representative of a law enforcement agency, tasked with protecting citizens, is accused of violence, it erodes public trust in the institutions designed to ensure justice and safety (Target 16.6).
2. Contradiction of Violence Reduction Goals: The alleged actions are in direct opposition to Target 16.1, which calls for a significant reduction of all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
3. Accountability and Rule of Law: The case highlights the critical need for accountability within public institutions to ensure they are effective, accountable, and inclusive at all levels.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The assault directly impacts the health and well-being of the victim, conflicting with the core objectives of SDG 3.

• Physical and Mental Health: Acts of strangulation and assault pose immediate and severe threats to an individual’s physical health and can result in long-term psychological trauma.
• Access to Support: This event underscores the importance of robust support systems and healthcare services for survivors of domestic violence to ensure their well-being and recovery.

Status of Legal Proceedings

The arraignment for Officer Mehmood was pending in Brooklyn Criminal Court as of Friday night.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • The article discusses a case of domestic violence where a man allegedly strangled and assaulted a woman. This directly relates to the goal of achieving gender equality and ending all forms of violence against women. The incident is a clear example of gender-based violence, a key concern of SDG 5.
2. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • This goal is relevant for two main reasons. First, the article describes a violent crime (assault and strangulation), which undermines peace and personal security. Second, it highlights the response of the justice system—the police arrested the suspect, and he was charged and is awaiting arraignment. This demonstrates the functioning of institutions meant to uphold the rule of law. The fact that the perpetrator is a police officer also touches upon the integrity and accountability of these institutions.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres.
   • The article’s focus on a “domestic dispute” where a 22-year-old woman was strangled by a male family member is a direct example of violence against women in the private sphere. The incident represents the exact type of violence this target aims to eliminate.
2. Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
   • The charges of “strangulation and assault” are explicit forms of physical violence. The article details a specific instance of such violence, which this target seeks to reduce on a broader scale.
3. Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.
   • The article shows this target in action. A crime was committed, and the justice system responded through the arrest and charging of the suspect, Sajid Mehmood. The pending “arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court” is a formal step in ensuring access to justice for the victim and upholding the rule of law, even when the accused is a police officer.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicator 5.2.1: Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by form of violence and by age.
   • The article provides a specific data point that would contribute to this indicator. It describes a 22-year-old woman who was subjected to physical violence (strangulation) in a domestic context. While the exact relationship is not specified as “intimate partner,” it falls under the umbrella of domestic violence that this indicator measures.
2. Indicator 16.1.3: Proportion of population subjected to (a) physical violence, (b) psychological violence and (c) sexual violence in the previous 12 months.
   • The incident detailed in the article, where a person was a victim of “strangulation and assault,” is a direct example of physical violence. This event would be counted in the data used to calculate the proportion of the population subjected to such violence.
3. Indicator 16.3.3: Proportion of the population who have experienced a dispute in the past two years and who accessed a formal or informal dispute resolution mechanism, by type of mechanism.
   • The article implies the use of a formal dispute resolution mechanism. The “domestic dispute” led to a police arrest and formal charges, with the case now pending in the “Brooklyn Criminal Court.” This represents the victim’s access to and use of the formal justice system to resolve the conflict.

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nydailynews.com