New York Post Journalist Assault Suspect Arrested, Controversially Bailed for $1

An individual accused of physically assaulting a journalist from the New York Post during her commute to work two years ago has finally been apprehended. However, the circumstances of his arrest and subsequent bail have sparked controversy and shock. The victim, who heads the New York Post’s NYPD bureau, disclosed in a recent article that the alleged offender, Kamieo Caines, has been captured at last. His release on a measly bail amount of $1, however, set by an infamous Manhattan DA known for his leniency towards criminals, Alvin Bragg, has caused quite the uproar.

Even though Caines, who stands accused of unprovokedly punching the reporter in the stomach, was granted the extremely low bail, he remains incarcerated at Rikers Island for a separate alleged crime. This involves his attempt to deal narcotics to an undercover law enforcement officer right before his arrest. For this particular crime, a more substantial bail amounting to $200,000 was set.

Further insight into how Caines was eventually captured emerged from the DA’s office. They reported that Caines’ arrest was a result of him being caught allegedly peddling drugs openly. Upon searching him, the authorities uncovered 17 containers of crack along with seven baggies brimming with heroin.

A deep dive into Caines’ criminal history exposes a lengthy track record of breaking the law. The law enforcement database counted up to 20 previous arrests logged under his name. Most concerningly, he was on parole while the assault on the reporter happened. To illustrate the severity of some of his offenses, he was found guilty in 2013 of causing harm to another inmate while serving time in Rikers, and he was put behind bars again in 2017 for assaulting two men with a boxcutter inside a subway station.

With all these offenses stacking up against him, the victim of the assault found herself asking a question that echoes the frustration of countless other crime victims in NYC. ‘What caused such delays in his arrest?’

The victim recalled the incident, stating, ‘I managed to take a picture of Caines at the juncture of Chambers Street and Broadway directly after he punched me while we crossed paths at around 10 a.m. on Aug. 8, 2023.’ She continued, ‘Without uttering a single word post-assault, Caines swiftly fled toward the nearby No. 1/2/3 subway line. I promptly surrendered the photo to the detectives.’

She recounted that while the police indeed pursued Caines, they were considerably constrained by the criminal-friendly bail reform. ‘Under the current law, no judge could have detained him for the minor offense of simple assault—a misdemeanor. Because of the bail reform laws enacted in 2019, such offenses are no longer bail eligible, which the police are painfully aware of.’

‘Even if Caines was arrested following the incident two years ago, he would have been free to walk the streets almost immediately,’ she lamented. ‘This persistent cycle of crime and release is a sore point for many in the law enforcement community, and is prompting many officers to seek retirement or other career avenues.’

In her twenty-plus years covering the crime beat in New York City, she accumulated experience with a vast array of criminal stories. She stated that since the implementation of the bail reform in 2019, she noticed a significant surge in reports about random assaults.

‘Every single assault case that surfaces now, especially after my own encounter, tends to stand out to me,’ she confessed. She reiterated her unfortunate experience as a reminder of the broader issues of bail reform and recidivism that still prevail in the city’s judicial system.