‘He left him to die’

New York’s Finest packed a Bronx courtroom Wednesday to watch a cowardly goon charged with viciously stomping an off-duty cop at knifepoint as he was shipped off to Rikers Island.

Taveon Hargrove, 22, was arraigned on robbery, assault and attempted murder charges in the brutal caught-on-video May 24 attack in Westchester Square that left Police Officer Chowdhury Nafees critically injured — and still fighting to return to duty.

Bronx prosecutors said Hargrove and cohort Wayne Lucas jumped the cop around 4 a.m. and pounded him so severely that “he had a shoe print on his face for a week after.

“This defendant struck him while Wayne Lucas held a knife to his throat,” Assistant District Attorney Paul Irace said in court. “This defendant took his property, his department-issued phone, his personal phone, and his wallet, his department issued ID and his loaded weapon.”

Hargrove fled to Virginia after the attack, and was nabbed hiding in a relative’s garage there by a US Marshals Service task force — and wept like a baby when a police dog had to drag him out.

Lucas was arrested and arraigned on the charges last month.

Nafees was still wearing his uniform and identified himself as a cop before the two thugs pounced on him and left him bleeding on the sidewalk, according to a criminal complaint.

“This wasn’t just a robbery,” NYPD Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry said outside the courtroom Wednesday. “His accomplice didn’t just steal property.

“They knew he was a New York City police officer and they viciously beat him to the ground,” Hendry said. “They started beating him and when he thought it was over this individual who was in the courtroom today stomped on his head and put a foot print in his face. He left the scene. He left him to die.”

In court, Hargrove wore a dirty white t-shirt with a stretched neck and shuffled nervously, peppering his lawyer with questions while some three dozen police officers glared at him from behind.

Three large scars were visible in the back of his neck.

Several of his relatives were in court for the arraignment but declined comment to The Post.

Irace said Narfees suffered multiple bone fractures, “including two orbital fractures,” and is still suffering “dizziness issues” more than one month after the attack.

“Given the seriousness of the injuries and the strength of the people’s case, he will be remanded,” Bronx Acting Supreme Court Justice Kim Parker said in court.

Lucas, who was arraigned on attempted murder, assault and robbery charges on June 5, is also being held at RIkers Island without bail in the case.

Both are due back in court on Sept. 12.

Hendry said the PBA and the department will continue to stand behind the injured cop.

“He was devastated and he is now thankful that [Hargrove] is being held accountable,” he said. “And we’re going to make sure because we’re his blue family. We’re going to make sure that this individual and his accomplice is held accountable.”