Deputy Inspector Anthony Bologna pepper sprays a small group of women in 2011 during an Occupy Wall Street protest.
Two New York City police officials involved in separate incidents during the Occupy Wall Street protests won't face criminal charges, according to a report from NBC News New York.
Deputy Inspector Anthony Bologna ("Tony Baloney," as he became known to Occupiers) and Deputy Inspector Johnny Cardona were investigated by the Manhattan District Attorney's office.
Bologna, who was immortalized in a hilarious Daily Show segment called The Vigilogna, was disciplined by the NYPD for pepper spraying two women who were caught behind mesh police netting during a demonstration in 2011. The department docked him 10 vacation days and reassigned him to Staten Island, but the DA has decided there's not enough evidence to prosecute him on criminal charges.
Kaylee Dedrick -- one of the pepper-sprayed women -- filed a federal lawsuit against the NYPD and the officer.
The other incident, involving Cardona, was a few weeks later during an altercation with Occupy protester Felix Rivera-Pitre. The NYPD said that Cardona was sprayed in the face with an unknown liquid by a group of demonstrators and that Rivera-Pitre attempted to elbow Cardona in the face. Cardona is seen in the video below lunging at Rivera-Pitre. The protester said the attack was unprovoked and that Cardona punched him in the face, and tore an earring from his ear.
"Both of the incidents occurred during mass protests in Manhattan, and the snippets of videos posted online did not appear to capture either altercation in its entirety. Erin Duggan, a spokesman for the district attorney's office, said the allegations could not be proved criminally beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lawyer Ron Kuby, who represents the protesters involved in both altercations, blasted the lack of charges. He said he would ask federal authorities to investigate.
Bologna was disciplined internally after a review found he had violated departmental guidelines when he used pepper spray. Cardona was not.
Roy Richter, president of the union representing the officials, said Cardona was the "true victim of the OWS fiasco," who was recovering from several surgeries he had after injuries sustained while policing the demonstrations."
What, did he hurt his fist randomly attacking peaceful protesters?
