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Video: Cop Bodyslams Man In Subway Station
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 26, 2012
Modified Jul 26, 2012
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 26, 2012
Modified Jul 26, 2012
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In a video posted on YouTube, a police officer violently lifted a 19-year-old man he had detained and then dropped him onto a subway platform floor—pulling a subway poster down with him. Sean Pagan had allegedly been "seen writing graffiti in a restricted area of the station" but, based on the footage, the cop's reaction seems very excessive.
The incident occurred last Thursday at the 45th St. subway station in Brooklyn. The Daily News reports, "The video shows that the uniformed cop has Pagan put his hands against the wall and frisks him, but Pagan squirms and complains when he feels the frisk gets too intimate. The cop reacts by slamming Pagan twice on the ground and putting him in a headlock."
People watching the confrontation told Pagan not to resist arrest and also asked the police officer for his name (his badge fell off and can be seen in the video). Pagan, who was charged with theft of services, resisting arrest, criminal mischief, making graffiti and trespassing, told the News, "I was just in shock he really did that. I'm sure there are other kids who got the same treatment or worse treatment that wasn't recorded."
Tagged
brooklyn
police brutality
sean pagan
subway
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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