A New York police officer has been stripped of his gun and badge and placed on desk duty after shocking video emerged showing him beating up a man over an alleged social distancing violation.
On Saturday, several plainclothes NYPD cops broke up a group of people ignoring social distancing orders and dragged a man to the ground and arrested him in the East Village on Avenue D and 9th Street around 5pm.
Two minutes after the arrest bystanders began to shout and decry the force used by police, prompting Officer Francisco Garcia to threaten the crowd with a stun gun and shout ‘Get back. Get the f k back ‘, according to the New York Post .
Donni Wright, 33, was a part of that crowd and shouted ‘He did not even do nothing’ in shock over the cops’ earlier arrest.
‘What you flexing for? Don’t flex, ‘Garcia, wearing a black T-shirt, jeans, Yankees cap and a belt showing his officer’s badge, replied before punching Wright in the head.
On Saturday around 5pm NYPD plainclothes officers broke up a group of people violating social distancing orders in Manhattan’s East Village. The outrage and protest of bystanders led to the arrest of – year-old Donni Wright
In that social distancing arrest officers were seen bringing a man to the ground and arresting him
Two minutes after that arrest bystanders began to shout and decry the police’s use of force, prompting Officer Francisco Garcia (above) to threaten the crowd with a stun gun and shout ‘Get back. Get the f k back ‘
Donni Wright, 33, was a part of that crowd and shouted ‘He did not even do nothing’ in shock over the cops’ earlier arrest, leading Garcia to punch him and knock him to the ground
The cop punched Wright repeatedly and forced him to the ground. He dragged him onto the sidewalk where he was placed in handcuffs by another officer.
The sudden beatdown led distressed people in the area to scream and shout even more, but Garcia yelled back ‘That’s right!’
Some of these officers at the scene , including Garcia, were notably not wearing protective masks, which is required to be worn by law enforcement.
Wright was arrested on charges of assault on a police officer and resisting arrest. The charges have been deferred pending further investigation, a Manhattan District Attorney’s Office spokesperson said.
Video footage of the confrontation was shared on NYC Scanner’s Twitter page where it racked up more than 72, 06 views and sparked outrage over excessive police force.
‘The behavior I saw in that video is simply not acceptable,’ Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted Sunday.
‘Saw the video from the Lower East Side and was really disturbed by it. The officer involved has been placed on modified duty and an investigation has begun, ‘he said.
Garcia hit Wright several times and dragged him onto the sidewalk and distressed onlookers screamed for him to stop
Garcia was seen putting his knees on Wright’s head and neck during the brutal arrest. Wright was arrested for assault on a police officer and resisting arrest but the charges have been been deferred pending further investigation
The incident is being investigated by the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau and Garcia has been placed on modified duty
‘It started out as a social distancing enforcement,’ Commissioner Dermot Shea on Sunday . ‘I am aware of the video that’s out there.’
Police spokeswoman Sgt. Mary Frances O’Donnell said Wright ‘took a fighting stance against the officer’ when ordered to disperse.
The incident is being investigated by the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau and Garcia has been placed on desk duty.
The manner of Wright’s arrest appeared to echo that of 20 – year-old Fitzroy Gayle, who was seen on bystander video pleading for help as several officers wrestled him into submission on a Brooklyn sidewalk in early March.
Mayor Bill de Blasio condemned the incident saying: ‘Saw the video from the Lower East Side and was really disturbed by it. The officer involved has been placed on modified duty and an investigation has begun ‘
De Blasio assigned 1, 000 officers to social distancing patrols over the weekend as temperatures reached the high 70 s
Under the instructions of Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYPD officers set out on foot , bicycles and in cars to break up crowds and remind those enjoying the weather of public health restrictions requiring they keep 6 feet away from others
Jennvine Wong, a lawyer With the Legal Aid Society’s Cop Accountability Project, said footage of the arrests Saturday stood in sharp contrast to photos and video – including some tweeted out by the police department – showing officers in crowded city parks handing out face masks and gently reminding people to stay 6 feet apart.
‘This certainly isn’t the first time and this isn’t even the first time in this pandemic that we’ve s een evidence of discriminatory policing by the NYPD, ‘Wong said.
The police department assigned 1, officers to social distancing patrols over the weekend as temperatures reached the high 823 s.
On Saturday, they issued 51 summonses, including 70 in city parks. At a news conference Sunday, Shea said he was aware of just three arrests.
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