Aaron Edwards: Five things to know about NYPD cop beating Emir Balat at Jake Lang protests

Aaron Edwards: 5 things to know

1. Edwards has been with the New York Police Department for 23 years and was most recently appointed Northern Manhattan Borough Chief in December.
2. Commissioner Jessica Tisch said he was inspired to become a police officer after seeing the actions of NYPD officers on 9/11.
3. Edwards, 44, began working for the New York Police Department in 2003. Prior to serving as Assistant Chief of Patrol for the Northern District of Manhattan, Edwards worked in the NYPD’s Office of Public Information.
4. He has worked in Manhattan for most of his career, including stints with the Organized Crime Bureau in the 17th Precinct on Manhattan’s East Side and the Narcotics Enforcement Unit in Midtown South.
5. In February, the NYPD Guardians, a fraternal organization of black police officers, honored Edwards as its “Man of the Year.”

Navarro, meanwhile, grew up in Puerto Rico and New York before settling in Washington Heights in the Bronx. He has served for 11 years. Navarro joined the NYPD after a close friend encouraged him to take the test, according to the commissioner.