A NYPD officer was arrested after he was accused of pulling a gun on a woman he solicited for sex in the Bronx after she refused to service him inside his car, cops said.
Joel Perez Leonardo, 25, was charged with harassment, menacing, patronizing a person for prostitution, and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Bronx Criminal Court on Thursday.
Leonardo was off-duty when he allegedly offered his victim $60 to perform oral sex on him as the two sat in his 2019 Mazda CX-5 near Tiffany St. and Viele Ave. in Hunts Point around 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, cops said.
When she refused, Leonardo grabbed a gun, pointed it at her and shouted, “Get the f—- out of my car,” according to prosecutors.
The woman told a nearby police officer what happened. When the cop approached Leonardo, he appeared intoxicated, with “bloodshot, watery eyes and a pale face,” and told the officer, “I was at the bar. I had a few drinks,” according to a criminal complaint.
He refused to take a breathalyzer.
Records show Leonardo has been an NYPD officer since April 2025, most recently assigned to the 28th precinct in Central Harlem.
A NYPD spokesperson confirmed he was suspended without pay following his arrest. His driver’s license and his permit to carry a firearm were also suspended.
Leonardo was released without bail at his arraignment. His next court appearance is Jan. 7.