On Friday, Sept. 26, a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer was arrested for allegedly sneaking into the Ryder Cup golf tournament at the Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, New York, while posing as a member of President Trump’s security team.
President Trump appeared at the opening ceremony that day, with his granddaughter Kai Trump.
The officer, later identified as Melvin Eng, 46, was officially on “sick leave” on that day. Eng is a Chinese-American detective with the NYPD.
Despite tight security, he managed to sneak into the venue dressed in full tactical gear, while claiming to be a member of Trump’s security team. He was only discovered after accidentally dropping a magazine in front of real security personnel.
Based on a New York Post report, Eng wore a bulletproof vest, police badge, handcuffs, and had a firearm at his waist, and appeared “fully armed.” However, his gear was not an official NYPD uniform and looked somewhat suspicious.
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He claimed to be part of Trump’s security detail or a member of a certain federal agency, which allowed him to successfully enter the venue and almost pass through multiple layers of security. However, when he accidentally dropped a magazine in front of actual security staff, his cover was blown. The Secret Service and state police immediately detained him, confiscated all his equipment, and launched an investigation.
A police source commented that the incident was alarming because someone carrying a gun had managed to bypass both the Secret Service and state police to get into the tournament.
It is reported that Melvin Eng was still officially on “medical leave” at the time, recovering from heart surgery and was not supposed to be at work. He has since been suspended without pay by the NYPD and is facing administrative charges of “theft of services.”
As of now, Melvin Eng has not publicly responded to the incident. There is speculation that his motive may have been simply to “catch a golf game,” or there may be other reasons.According to background information from Sing Tao Daily, Melvin Eng comes from a Chinese immigrant family and grew up in Flushing. He joined the NYPD 15 years ago, and previously worked in the Financial Crimes Task Force handling money laundering and elder fraud cases, and this year became president of the Asian Jade Society, an association of Asian police officers.
