On July 28, 2023, NYPD Officer Omar Habib responded to an assault-in-progress call at a Bronx catering hall. The encounter ultimately led to the arrest of Lord Nyamaah, who had been drinking, had been involved in a fight and resisted officers as they attempted to take him into custody.
The arrest became a physical struggle involving several officers in the confined rear of an ambulance. During that
struggle, Habib used force to help control Nyamaah. Prosecutors later alleged that Habib placed him in an illegal chokehold and caused him to briefly lose consciousness.
In August 2026, a Bronx jury convicted Habib of second-degree strangulation, third-degree assault and unlawful methods of restraint. The felony conviction ended his nearly nineteen-year NYPD career.
LELDF believes there are substantial reasons to question that result.
The encounter was not an unprovoked use of force against a compliant suspect. Habib was attempting to arrest a larger, intoxicated and resisting man during a fast-moving struggle in extremely tight quarters. The defense also maintains that Habib’s purpose was to control and handcuff Nyamaah—not to choke or injure him—and that the medical evidence does not support the prosecution’s portrayal of the incident.
The fairness of the trial is also under challenge. According to post-trial filings, the jury foreperson invoked George Floyd and the protests following his death during deliberations. The foreperson was eventually removed, but only after those comparisons had already been introduced into the jury room.
Habib is now challenging his conviction through post-trial and appellate proceedings.
Omar Habib was born and raised in the Bronx and joined the NYPD after graduating from St. John’s University with a degree in Criminal Justice. During nearly nineteen years with the Department, he served primarily in the 40th and 47th Precincts, trained new officers as a Field Training Officer, and made 245 arrests, including 51 felony arrests. He was twice recognized for Meritorious Police Duty and received numerous community and government awards for his police work and mentorship.
The Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund is supporting Omar Habib as he challenges his conviction. Police officers should be judged based on the circumstances confronting them at the time—not through hindsight or by importing the politics surrounding other police encounters into the jury room.
Stand with Omar Habib and help LELDF ensure that officers have the resources to defend themselves when difficult police encounters become criminal prosecutions.
