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NYPD investigates after video shows two officers punching and kicking man
TL;DR
The NYPD is investigating after videos showed officers punching and kicking a man during an arrest attempt in Brooklyn. The officers involved have been placed on desk duty and their weapons removed.
Key points
- NYPD launched an internal investigation into officers' actions.
- Videos show officers punching and kicking a man during an arrest.
- Officers were involved in a planned undercover drug operation.
- The wrong man was mistakenly targeted for arrest.
- Officers have been placed on desk duty during the investigation.
Mentioned in this story
NYPDBrooklynJessica Tisch
The New York police department has launched an internal investigation after videos posted online showed two police officers repeatedly punching and kicking a man they were attempting to arrest on Tuesday.
In a statement on Wednesday, the New York City police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, said that “there are a number of videos circulating online of an incident that occurred yesterday inside a store in Brooklyn involving two members of the NYPD.
“These videos are deeply disturbing, and the matter is under active investigation by the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau,” she said, adding that the two officers involved had been placed on desk duty as the investigation takes place and their guns and shields had been taken away.
The police department has said that the officers had been “engaged in a planned and supervised” undercover drug operation in the Cobble Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn on Tuesday, but that they had mistakenly targeted the wrong man.
According to the police, the man “matched the description” of a man they had been looking for who had been involved in a drug deal earlier that day.
But, the police said that it was was “later determined” that the man in the video “was not involved in the drug sale”.
Videos of the incident show the two officers repeatedly punching and kicking the man to the ground, and dragging him across the floor, as they attempt to arrest him.
The man in the video was initially charged with resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration and he received a desk appearance ticket. However, the Brooklyn district attorney, Eric Gonzalez, told CBS News on Wednesday that the charge would be dropped.
“This individual was not charged with any offense related to the sale of narcotics because it was later determined that he was not involved in the drug sale,” police said.
The incident drew swift condemnation from city leaders.
New York City’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani – who has had some differences with Tisch over policing issues in recent months, and also faced criticism from some police unions over to a snowball fight incident in February – that “the violence used by NYPD officers in this video is extremely disturbing and unacceptable.
Q&A
What happened during the NYPD arrest in Brooklyn?
Two NYPD officers were recorded punching and kicking a man they mistakenly targeted during an undercover drug operation.
Why are the NYPD officers under investigation?
The officers are under investigation for using excessive force during an arrest, as shown in disturbing videos circulating online.
What actions has the NYPD taken against the officers involved?
The officers have been placed on desk duty, and their guns and shields have been removed while the investigation is ongoing.
