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CBS2 Exclusive: Man Who Attacked Police Officer, 4 Others With Hammer In Manhattan Sentenced

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A man who randomly attacked people in Manhattan with a hammer two years ago has been sentenced to 22 years behind bars.

David Baril, 32, was wheeled into court Wednesday, CBS2's Tony Aiello reported.

He was left permanently injured after he attacked NYPD Officer Lauren O'Rourke in May 2015 and was shot four times by her partner. The shooting ended three days of fear as Baril, wearing a mask and swinging a hammer, repeatedly attacked strangers on the West Side.

"I think that the disposition we have reached is as close to justice as we can come," Judge Michael Obus said.

The judge said Baril's mental state would have been an issue at trial. Instead, he pleaded guilty to reduced charges last month.

"This is very terrible!" his mother, Sarah Wellington, shouted after the sentencing. "I'm going to appeal my son's case for everything."

His mother, who wanted him to go to trial, said he's mentally ill and not responsible for his actions.

She said Baril graduated from Cardinal Spellman High School and began to show signs of mental illness after he went away for college.

"He's a person with mental illness, for a long time. And everybody knows that," Wellington said.

Months before the attacks, Baril posted a photo on Instagram showing a hammer dripping with blood. At that point, he was basically a drifter with a long rap sheet, Aiello reported.

As the hammer attacks unfolded, police got a surveillance image of Baril entering the subway and a facial recognition program matched it to his mugshot. Officer O'Rourke and her partner recognized him and were about to arrest him when he attacked and was shot.

Baril was given a chance to speak at his sentencing but left court without saying a word.

Officer O'Rourke and her partner were also in court Wednesday but did not speak. She is fully recovered and now working for the NYPD warrant squad.

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