A city Department of Homeless Services officer was attacked by a resident as he was leaving the dangerous Wards Island shelter — one of several recent assaults there — and officers told The Post they fear an “uprising” is coming.
Officer Max Astudillo had just finished the night shift at the Charles Gay shelter and was driving out of the parking lot at around 8:15 a.m. Thursday, when Franz Jeudy, 28, rushed up to his window and punched him in the face, leaving him with a chipped tooth and a gash, cops said.
Jeudy fled, but Astudillo chased and caught him, authorities said.
“If it had been a knife, things would’ve been much different and much worse, especially while [the officer] was sitting in the car,” a police source said.
A police source who works at the shelter said its officers were on high alert following several recent attacks against their ranks.
“Everyone’s worried. Is this an uprising against officers?” the source said.
DHS rep Isaac McGinn said, “Any act that puts our clients or staff at risk is absolutely unacceptable,” adding that with NYPD overseeing security, shelters are “seeing improved policing and enforcement citywide.’’