Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg Criminalizes Self-Defense While Treating Criminals as Victims – Opinion

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg continues to treat criminals as if they’re victims, but now he is criminalizing self-defense.

Bragg, as the New York Post Editorial Board points out in an op-ed that Bragg is setting a horrible precedent. Anyone who has an illegal weapon, commits hate crimes, pushes elderly people to the ground or has an illegal gun will be punished. Steal from any store or business, and it doesn’t matter how many times that person does it; there will be no arrest or jail time.

Braggs may charge you for defending yourself, however. You read it right. Jose Alba (51), a hardworking cashier, worked at a small grocery on Broadway, near West 139th Street. A couple, a man and a woman entered the shop to buy chips. Alba was not willing to offer her chips.

Her boyfriend, Austin Simon, an ex-con and career criminal, went behind the counter to confront  Alba. Simon pulled Alba away from the collar and started walking alongside him. Alba appeared to grab a knife and they continued fighting. Simon quickly turned and stabbed Simon. Simon was declared dead. As Alba came back into the frame, it seemed like his arm was bleeding, possibly due to Simon’s girlfriend stabbing Alba. Alba held a bleeding knife in each hand.

WARNING! Graphic Content

Manhattan bodega worker accused of murder. Man is facing murder charges against Manhattan bodega worker. Holded on $250,000 bail. #NYC pic.twitter.com/kZ3Ju5yVDq

— YouDontHaveToWatch (@StarsAndBars123) July 6, 2022

Alba defended himself–what he did is called self-defense. That still exists in the United States of America, as much as DAs like Bragg don’t seem to think so.

Alba’s daughter, Yulissa, tells the Post:

“He was cornered in … As you can see in the video, he was cornered in, and when he saw himself getting taken outside, he thought his life was being threatened and he defended himself.”

Simon threatened Alba, and he assaulted him. Bragg says that an act of self defense is sufficient to warrant murder in the 2nd degree. Alba was initially released on bail at $250,000 cash bail. Later, his bail was reduced to $50,000 bail. He is being held at Rikers Island.

Alba’s cause was championed by Eric Adams Mayor

“My heart goes out for this hard-working, honest New Yorker that was doing his job in his place of business, where a person came in and went behind the counter and attacked him.”

Adams went to the grocery store in which the stabbing happened and said:

“The DA has a non-mandate, where we cannot dictate or mandate how he determines how he’s going to prosecute crimes … That is up to the district attorney, and I’m not going to second-guess the district attorney for his actions.”

Adams continued by saying he would have done things differently, had he been in Bragg’s position:

“We have enough people who are there for people who break the law … As I saw it, from the video, I saw a worker here following the law, and he should not have been approached in the manner that he was approached … It’s time for New Yorkers and Americans to start standing up for people who follow the law, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

According to the Post, after Bragg faced backlash over Alba’s case, he pushed for $500,000 bail.

Fernando Mateo was a spokesperson for United Bodega Association. He told The Post:

“[Alba] didn’t mean to kill anyone … Bodega owners are being attacked every day. They are being abused and ransacked by shoplifters”

“There is no clearer example of self-defense,” said former prosecutor and criminal defense attorney Michael Discioarro.