According to several local media outlets, two policemen mistakenly took the suspect for a drug dealer. The chief of the New York Police announced on Wednesday the opening of an internal investigation after a video surfaced showing the violent arrest of a black man in a liquor store in Brooklyn. In the clip, two men – one wearing a police vest, the other in plain clothes – tried to bring the man to the ground by delivering violent blows, including to the face, chest, and groin. Once on the ground, one of the officers crushed his leg with his foot.
“Yes, I saw the video,” said Jessica Tisch, describing it as “troubling.” “This matter is being reviewed by our internal affairs bureau. We will have more to communicate as the investigation progresses,” added the police chief, who was responding to questions from the press in a different context. She also mentioned that the two officers had been reassigned to administrative tasks and their weapons and badges had been temporarily confiscated.
“The violence committed by NYPD officers in this video is extremely shocking and intolerable. Officers should never treat a person in this way,” responded the city’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani. According to several local media outlets, the two officers mistakenly took the suspect for a drug dealer.
