EAST HARLEM, NEW YORK – An off-duty NYPD officer was arrested on Friday evening in Manhattan’s East Harlem neighborhood on charges that include first-degree rape and second-degree strangulation, authorities confirmed.
Samuel Sierra, 35, a police officer with the New York Police Department, was taken into custody at approximately 7:20 p.m. within the confines of the 23rd Precinct. Sierra, who was off duty at the time of the alleged offenses, also faces a third-degree assault charge.
The charges stem from an incident that has not yet been detailed publicly by police officials, who have stated the investigation is ongoing. As of Saturday morning, no additional information about the victim or the circumstances leading to Sierra’s arrest had been disclosed.