Cops: Hicksville man, 78, charged with assaulting officer

A 78-year-old Hicksville man was arrested and charged with assault after Nassau County police said he attacked a Second Precinct officer who'd responded to a disturbance call at his home early Thursday.

Police said officers were called to the home on Emmet Place at around 12:45 a.m. and said the suspect, Joel Ferdinand, soon became uncooperative with officers, kicking a box filled with bottles at them and then "making stabbing motions" while holding a metal tobacco pipe.

Police said that when officers attempted to handcuff Ferdinand, he pushed a female officer into a table, causing her to strike her head and hurt her hand — injuries that sent the officer to a hospital for treatment.

Ferdinand was charged with second-degree assault as well as menacing a police officer, resisting arrest and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. It was not immediately known if he had retained an attorney.

Ferdinand was taken to a hospital for what police described as "assessment and treatment" and was scheduled for arraignment Thursday in First District Court, Hempstead. Online information on his status was unavailable Thursday night.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”