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Cop Who Allegedly Beat Pregnant Woman Put On Modified Duty For Shoving Other Woman
By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 27, 2014
Modified Sep 27, 2014
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 27, 2014
Modified Sep 27, 2014
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The NYPD officer who has been accused of beating a pregnant woman with a baton during a disturbing arrest in Sunset Park last week has been put on modified duty. Officer Joseph Degen wasn't taken off the streets because of his alleged encounter with 44-year-old pregnant woman Sandra Amezquita though—it was because he shoved a different woman during the same incident, and was caught on video doing so.
While attempting to arrest Amezquita's 17-year-old son, Jhohan Lemos, who allegedly had an illegal gravity knife clipped to his belt, Degen and other officers were confronted by his family members, including Lemos's father, another man, and the five-months pregnant Amezquita. After Amezquita fell to the ground belly-first, Mercedes Hidalgo approached the officers to tell them she was pregnant; as you can see in the video below taken by a community activist, Degen then shoved Hidalgo violently, tossing her about 10 feet away.
Post by El Grito De Sunset Park.
Degen joined the force around 2012, according to the News. They write: "A colleague who knows him called Degen 'an excellent cop' and said he reacted after seeing the woman approach him." NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau is investigating the incident. The video is the second to emerge this month showing officers from the 72nd precinct clashing with locals on the streets of Sunset Park.
Tagged
joseph degen
nypd
police brutality
sandra amezquita
shoving
sunset park
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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