Ex-Cop Gets 8 Years For Stealing Pants At Gunpoint in Bushwick

BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN -- A former police officer will spend up to eight years in prison for pistol-whipping a man outside a Bushwick nightclub and robbing him of his jewelry, cash and pants, prosecutors announced.

Anthony Delacruz, 35, was sentenced in Brooklyn Criminal Court Monday after a jury found him guilty of the assault and robbery earlier this month, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney's office.

“This defendant’s reprehensible behavior is shocking because he was a New York City police officer at the time of the incident," said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.

"Yet he robbed one man and filed a false report against five others."

Delacruz was convicted of robbery, assault and menacing for the armed caper that left a bruised man without his pants outside El Mekkah Bar and Grill on Wyckoff Avenue near Grove Street on May 28, 2016, prosecutors said.

The former 94th Precinct police officer was seen on video pointing his gun at a man hiding behind a car whom he leads away out of camera's view, said prosecutors.

Delacruz could then be seen with another man carrying clothing and sneakers, then the victim reappears wearing only a t-shirt and boxer shorts, said prosecutors.

When police arrived, Delacruz initially claimed that he had shot at a group of people who stole his gold chain, Rolex watch and gold ring, then fired two shots at him, prosecutors said.

The off-duty officer then claimed a group of club goers — all of whom were later proven innocent — had contributed to the robbery, said prosecutors.

Delacruz was taken to an area hospital where he was questioned by police who soon realized he had hid details about the evening and decided to investigate.