Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Bicyling Teen: Surveillance Video Shows Police Brutality
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 22, 2011
Modified Feb 22, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 22, 2011
Modified Feb 22, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
NYPD Internal Affairs is investigating allegations of police brutality related to the arrest of a teenager in a Bronx bodega last Friday night. Surveillance video (below) from the bodega shows the teen, Jorge Cartagena Jr., saying something to an unidentified officer as the cop exits the deli. The cop then whirls around, grabs the teen, and flings him against a shelf of snack food. Moments earlier, outside the bodega, the officer had given Cartagena Jr., 19, a warning about riding his bike on the sidewalk.
The surveillance video shows the officers dragging the teen to the ground and arresting him. Cartagena Jr.—who wants to be a cop when he grows up—tells WABC that as he was handcuffed, one officer "was slamming my head against the floor over and over." He sustained cuts and bruises on his face and body, and now says he's "so hurt because it's the police officers, and they're supposed to be there to help us."
Cartagena Jr. was taken to the local precinct and then Central Booking, ultimately spending about 24 hours in jail. He was finally released with a citation for riding his bike on the sidewalk. His father tells WABC, "To be honest, I want to beat the crap out of the cop." His son, however, still wants to become a cop. Well, he certainly learned something about how our courteous and professional NYC officers handle vital police work.
Tagged
bicycling
bronx
cops
cycling
jose cartagena
nypd
police brutality
video
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Feds blame NYC's sanctuary policies for violent ICE arrest in Marble Hill
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said ICE agents were unaware a child was in the vehicle they fired on during the arrest.
By
Arya Sundaram
Published Oct 9, 2026 at 12:37 p.m. ET
Modified Oct 9, 2026 at 1:09 p.m. ET
NYPD rushed man shot by ICE to hospital in police SUV, bodycam footage shows
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said ICE officers fired at Oscar Belgal multiple times when he was in a car with his 5-year-old son.
By
Ben Feuerherd
News
NYPD rushed man shot by ICE to hospital in police SUV, bodycam footage shows
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said ICE officers fired at Oscar Belgal multiple times when he was in a car with his 5-year-old son.
By
Ben Feuerherd
Pencils down: NYC lawmakers want to switch back to paper tests as state mandates screens
By
Jessica Gould
Penn Station’s future could be determined by midterm elections
By
Stephen Nessen
ICE mistakenly arrested 2 men in the Bronx, then mounted cover-up, US judge rules
By
Arya Sundaram
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .