20 DAYS IN JAIL FOR BRONX WOMAN CONVICTED OF ASSAULTING A POLICE OFFICER – THE PEOPLE HAD ARGUED FOR A SENTENCE OF 4 YEARS IN PRISON

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that even though a woman had assaulted a New York City Police Officer who was placing the defendant under arrest, the defendant was sentenced to less than three weeks in jail instead of the four years in prison that the People had recommended.

State Supreme Court Justice Margaret Clancy sentenced Keke Cuffee, 26, to 20 days in jail followed by five years probation for assaulting NYPD Sergeant Kristen McKee during an altercation on August 20, 2006. Last month, a jury found Cuffee guilty of Assault in the 2nd degree. Assault in the 2nd degree is a Class D felony offense and under the law Cuffee could have received a maximum sentence of up to seven years imprisonment.

Sergeant McKee, who is assigned to the 46th precinct, was injured when she attempted to calm down the defendant who had been involved in a fight. Cuffee had been fighting with a pregnant woman in the lobby of 2000 Valentine Avenue, where Cuffee’s mother is a resident. When Sergeant McKee arrived on the scene as part of an NYPD back-up team, she approached Cuffee who was yelling and screaming profanities. As McKee tried to persuade Cuffee to calm down, Cuffee directed her anger toward McKee, punching her in the face and pulling her hair from her scalp. Hair was ripped from a section of the Sergeant’s scalp measuring six centimeters. In addition to the damaged scalp, Sergeant McKee suffered bruising and swelling to her face, lacerations to her arm and substantial pain to her face and head.

Still pending are new charges against Cuffee stemming from allegations in connection with the assault case which was just concluded. Cuffee has been charged with tampering with a witness and related misdemeanor offenses. It is alleged that Cuffee made threats of physical harm to the only eyewitness who testified against her at the felony assault trial. Bail in that case was set in the amount of $25,000 bond or $5,000 cash.

Assistant District Attorneys Nicole Garretson and Frances Hopson prosecuted the assault case and are also prosecuting the new charges against Cuffee.