An off-duty NYPD officer was arrested on Monday for allegedly threatening to kill his fiancée, who had an order of protection against him over an alleged assault that took place in March.
Henry Vidal, 45, allegedly followed his 37-year-old partner to her sister's house, where he threatened to kill her and pulled out his gun, according to police sources.Vidal was arrested on a criminal contempt charge, and will be the second time he has been arrested for attacking his fiancée this year.
Violated Court Order Over Domestic Violence Incident in March
In March, Vidal was arrested for assaulting his partner at their residence in Upper Manhattan. He allegedly pinned down his girlfriend on the bed while twisting her wrist and kicked her in the ankle following an argument. The girlfriend was taken to an area hospital to be treated for swelling and bruising to the ankle.
Vidal was charged with two counts of assault and one count of harassment. He was apparently intoxicated when the altercation took place. During his arraignment at the Manhattan Criminal Court in April, the judge had issued a temporary order of protection and warned the officer to keep his distance from the woman and prohibited him from contacting her.
History of Domestic Violence, Drinking and Driving
This wasn't the officer's first run-in with the law. The cop, who has been an NYPD officer since 2002, was placed on modified duty following a number of domestic violence and drunk driving incidents. In 2012, he was arrested on a DWI charge and was suspended from the NYPD in 2017 after a shoplifting suspect he helped apprehend in Harlem slipped out of his squad car.
Two years prior, Vidal was sued in federal court for falsely arresting a young black man. Charges against the young man were dropped after he spent three days in custody. The outcome of the lawsuit is pending.
