A live performance pianist stated he was violently assaulted in Manhattan over the summer season, and claims the district lawyer’s workplace refused to convey felony fees in opposition to his alleged attacker.
Graphic surveillance video confirmed the assault on 53-year-old Derek Wieland, a live performance pianist, in July 2024 on the Higher West Aspect following a verbal dispute.
”I used to be attacked from behind abruptly. Very violently,” Wieland told NBC New York in an exclusive interview. “The impression of the sidewalk had an enormous quantity of power, after which he pinned me down and began punching me repeatedly…He was not capable of get hits on my face, so he pulled my arm again — tearing my rotator cuff. And [he] landed different punches.”
Police would cost 21-year-old Emerson Ionita, the son of a buddy of Wieland’s with misdemeanor fees. The skilled musician was left shocked Ionita wouldn’t face felony fees.
“I feel the attack was deliberate,” he stated.
Wieland says the after he referred to as 911, there was a second assault by Ionita a number of minutes later, one he referred to as “significantly brutal.
Although he stated he by no means fought again, Wieland was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault. He was handcuffed for a few hours on the twenty fourth precinct earlier than being taken to the hospital, the place he stayed for eight days.
“I’ll never regain the use of my right shoulder. The tendons are damaged. There was multiple damage to the skull,” stated Wieland.
The felony fees in opposition to Wieland have been finally dismissed, however he says he needed to pay hundreds of {dollars} for a protection lawyer. He was out of labor for months, and stated he solely just lately has been capable of play the piano once more.
Ionita’s lawyer advised NBC New York that the video doesn’t inform the entire story, including that Wieland’s crew “tried to shake this kid down and were willing to drop the case” — one thing the musician denies.
“I think a violation is something that doesn’t appear on your record, and for a victim of violence, that’s another trauma,” stated Wieland. “It says what happened to me is trivial. What happened to me doesn’t matter.”
On account of the shortage of fees filed in opposition to his alleged attacker, Wieland stated of the Manhattan DA’s workplace that “anyone residing in NYC proper now would have a proper to be enormously annoyed, enormously indignant, nearly hopeless what may be completed for you… I consider in NYC you’re unheard.”
The Manhattan DA’s workplace advised NBC New York partially that they performed a cautious and thorough investigation and there wasn’t sufficient proof to convey a felony assault case. They added the incident was not a random assault, and the defendant is a 21-year-old scholar with no felony report and “any conclusion to this case will take note of all of those details.”
