John D. Macari Jr. 🇺🇸🗽@JohnDMacari
NYPD Police Officer Grant Pulagrin is my pick for 2026’s “Cop of The Year”
Let’s talk about the reality of what officers like Grant Pulagrin face each day using this video as an example.
In the below video you witness Grant make a beautiful solo, open field tackle and apprehend a violent terrorist who just threw 2 IED’s a protest.
In that moment, it was completely reasonable for him to believe the suspect could still be carrying another explosive.
Despite that risk, Pulagrin takes the suspect to the ground, mounts him, and delivers strikes to gain compliance ending the threat and getting the terrorist into handcuffs.
That’s policing, that’s courage and that’s what we pay, train and expect police officers to do.
But here’s the unfortunate reality for NYPD cops in 2026:
While every reasonable person knows this was a reasonable and justified use of force it’s important to understand that his actions on that day generated a use of force report, which generate an automatic notification to NYPD Internal Affairs and NYC’s Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) to investigate that use of force.
Grant is now being investigated for his use of force by both the NYPD and the CCRB.
Due to the media and public attention on this case it is reasonable to believe that those investigations will clear Grant’s use of force but regardless of the outcome, these self generated allegations remain on his record forever, in retirement and beyond.
If the suspect or his attorney files additional complaints as a legal tactic, which also happens most of the time, those allegations also live on permanently.
The mount of the terrorist is also a move that was outlawed by NYC’s Council as part of the diaphragm law, which outlawed not only chokeholds as but also outlawed putting pressure on the back or chest of suspect.
Again because of the attention around this case it’s unlikely Manhattan DA would bring charges against Officer Pulagrin but the potential to do so is there.
Now imagine this wasn’t a terrorist attack. No media headlines but the same exact scenario plays out and Grant reacts the same way and does just as an amazing job apprehending a fleeing violent suspect.
In this scenario Grant more than likely receives a substantiated CCRB as a result of their “investigation” into his self generated allegations.
This scenario would cause Grant to not receive qualified immunity and not be indemnified by NYC, meaning Grant would be held personally liable for damages from a lawsuit.
Grant would also have his professional record marred for life and could face a possible criminal indictment, for doing HIS JOB !
So when the headlines fade, don’t forget what you saw.
A police officer ran toward danger, took down a terrorist, and protected innocent people while knowing the system he works in may still come after him for doing his job.
Next time you judge a cop based on their CCRB or lawsuit record remember that.
GOD Bless Police Officer Grant Pulagrin !
GOD Bless The NYPD !
FYI @nypdpc hopefully it’s Detective Pulagrin sooner than later.
