A former NYPD officer who still worked inside New York City public schools has been charged with murdering a Brooklyn jogger he allegedly stabbed twice in the neck.
Story Snapshot
- Sayed Mohassib, a former NYPD officer and Department of Education employee, faces second-degree murder, evidence tampering, and weapon possession charges.
- Victim Katie Suarez, 28, was stabbed near Shore Parkway on October 30, 2026, and died three days later from her injuries.
- Police say Mohassib told them he was walking with a knife, blacked out, and woke up covered in blood.
- Investigators are still trying to recover the knife, with one report pointing to a Staten Island landfill.
- The case has sparked questions about why Mohassib reportedly returned to his school job after the attack.
Attack Near Brooklyn Waterfront Leaves Jogger Dead
Katie Suarez, 28, was out running near the Shore Parkway Greenway in Brooklyn around 8:15 p.m. on October 30, 2026, when she was attacked. Police say she was stabbed twice in the neck. She was rushed to a hospital but died three days later from her wounds, according to the New York Police Department account reported by outlets covering the case.
Former Officer Arrested After Weeklong Investigation
Detectives spent more than a week building a case before arresting Sayed Mohassib, a 27-year-old former NYPD officer who also worked as a Department of Education school aide. Investigators said they developed evidence placing him at the attack scene and took him into custody near his home after an intensive surveillance operation.
Prosecutors charged Mohassib with second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and criminal possession of a weapon. The murder charge alone signals that investigators and prosecutors believe the evidence shows he intended to kill, not that the stabbing was accidental.
Suspect Allegedly Described Blacking Out
Law-enforcement sources told NBC New York that Mohassib said he had been walking with a knife, blacked out, and later woke up covered in blood. He did not describe remembering the stabbing itself, according to the sources who spoke to reporters.
That account could become central if the case goes to trial. Under New York law, second-degree murder requires prosecutors to prove intent to cause death, not just that a person caused the injury. A defendant’s claim of memory loss or impaired mental state can be used to challenge whether prosecutors can prove that intent beyond a reasonable doubt.
Search for the Weapon Continues
The tampering charge against Mohassib suggests investigators believe evidence was hidden or destroyed after the attack. Reporting from Staten Island indicates the knife may have passed through a local landfill as police searched for discarded items connected to the case, though no source has confirmed the weapon was recovered or forensically matched to the wounds.
Employment History Raises Institutional Questions
Mohassib’s background as both a former police officer and a current school employee has drawn heavy attention in coverage of the arrest. Reports noted he continued working at his school job in the days after the October 30 attack and before his arrest, a detail that has fueled scrutiny of hiring and oversight practices within city institutions.
That dual background, a sworn officer turned school employee now accused of a brutal public killing, has struck a nerve beyond the immediate crime. For residents already uneasy about institutional accountability, the case reads as another example of systems failing to catch warning signs before tragedy strikes.
Only in NY: Sayed Mohassib, the 27-year old-school teacher accused of murdering a 28-year-old jogger, Katie Suarez on October 30, returned to work the Monday after the killing & was assigned to a classroom with students.
Police charged Mohassib with second-degree murder,… pic.twitter.com/tQDrF9fKAW
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) November 8, 2026
Mohassib has not yet stood trial, and the specific evidence prosecutors plan to present, including any surveillance footage, forensic testing, or recorded statements, has not been made public in full. The case now moves toward arraignment proceedings in Brooklyn, where a judge will consider the charges against him.
Sources:
thegatewaypundit.com, nytimes.com, cbsnews.com, people.com, nydailynews.com, abc13.com
