SBA Critical Of Light Sentence In Sgt. Assault

By REUVEN BLAU

Sergeants Benevolent Association President Ed Mullins last week said he was "greatly disappointed" that a woman who assaulted a Sergeant while she was placing her under arrest was sentenced to only 20 days in jail.

ED MULLINS: 'An assault on society.'

Prosecutors from the Bronx District Attorney's Office had recommended that State Supreme Court Justice Margaret Clancy give Keke Cuffee four years in prison.

Weighing Civil Suit

"I've referred it to our attorneys to see if there's a possibility of pursuing a civil suit," Sergeant Mullins said during a phone interview last week.

According to authorities, Sgt. Kristen McKee was injured on Aug. 20, 2006 after she tried to calm down Ms. Cuffee, who had been fighting with a pregnant woman. Called to the scene in the lobby of 2000 Valentine Ave., Sergeant McKee was punched in the face and had a large portion of her hair pulled from her scalp by Ms. Cuffee, police said.

In December, a jury found Ms. Cuffee guilty of Assault in the 2nd degree, a Class D felony, which carried a maximum sentence of up to seven years in prison.

But Justice Clancy Jan. 22 sentenced her to 20 days in jail and five years' probation.

"You have to take a harder stance especially when there's an assault on a Police Officer, because ultimately it's an assault on society," Sergeant Mullins said.

Ms. Cuffee is facing new charges stemming from allegations that she tampered with a witness in the case. According to the Bronx DA, she allegedly threatened to physically harm the only eyewitness who testified against her at the felony assault trial. Bail in that case was set at $25,000 bond or $5,000 cash, the DA said.