78th Precinct Officer Receives ‘Cop of the Month’ for Chasing Down Two Robbers in Prospect Park

Tuesday, Jan. 29 at 7:30 p.m. during the 78th Precinct Community Council Meeting, Officer Ruth Lormil was awarded "Cop of the Month" for arresting two men after they attacked a jogger in Prospect park and stole his cell phone earlier this month.

Two crooks ran up on a man jogging around Prospect Park, punched him in the face, and mugged him for his cell phone on a Sunday afternoon Jan. 13.

The 40-year-old victim told police that he was running on the park’s main drive at around 1:20 p.m. near the Nethermead arches when two men, a black 21-year-old and a black 18-year-old, ran up alongside him. One of the robbers punched him in the side of his head and tackled him to the ground. The crooks straddled the victim and one said, “Give me the f*czking phone and nothing is going to happen.”

The victim, who suffered swelling to the right side of his head but refused medical attention, then unzipped his pouch in his waistband and the crook took his iPhone. The crooks then ran away.

After the mugging, the victim sounded an alarm in the park and waved down a cop approaching him on the drive. Officer Lormil saw the crooks fleeing from the scene, jumped out of her patrol car, and gave chase. She caught up to one of the men, tackled him to the ground, and arrested him.

Lormil pursued the other crook, who continued to run, and arrested him shortly after. Lormil also recovered the victim’s iPhone, which she saw one of the crooks toss into the bushes while trying to get away.

Deputy Inspector Michael Ameri, the Commanding Officer of the 78th Precinct, said that Lormil was courageous and did “great police work” to arrest the two criminals shortly after they committed the robbery.

“She chased two guys down herself, resulting in two arrests,” Deputy Inspector Ameri said during an interview at the 78th Precinct stationhouse. “She deserves to be recognized for a job well done.”