NEWBURGH – Police officers from three departments broke up an attack on a Newburgh city police officer and dispersed a crowd of over 60 people during a fight at 165 Liberty Street at 12:45 a.m. on Saturday.

As city officers tried to break up the fighting, Officer Robert Pedrick tried to grab a man who was violently punching a woman. A large crowd formed and surrounded the officers and as Pedrick tried to place the man under arrest, another man began pulling on the officer’s arm. A woman then grabbed the policeman’s duty belt and started pulling on his holstered gun. The officer released the man he was trying to arrest in fear that his weapon would be taken by the woman.

As he tried to detain the woman, another man punched him in the back of the head and ran.

Officers reported that a Lembhard family member was threatening the officers as they tried to calm the crowd and make arrests. Michael Lembhard was the man who was shot and killed by police in March after they said he was trying to pull a knife on them.

A 15-year-old male was seen by officers jumping on a parked car and trying to punch another officer who was assisting Officer Pedrick. The teen ran, but was caught by other officers.

The unruly crowd was finally dispersed by five Newburgh city officers with the assistance of police from the towns of Newburgh and New Windsor.

Two suspects, ages 19 and 15, were arrested in connection with the incident.