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Video: Cop Suspended Without Pay After Pepper-Spraying Bystander During Demonstrations
By
Sydney Pereira
Published Jun 16, 2020
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Screenshot of video by Aaron Blanton
By
Sydney Pereira
Published Jun 16, 2020
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An officer has been suspended without pay for pepper-spraying a bystander during protests against racist police violence on June 1st, the NYPD announced Monday.
A 5-second clip shows a group of officers in riot gear running past bystanders near a Midtown building, upon which a rookie cop maces one of the people standing on the sidewalk outside of a building on East 57th Street near Sixth Avenue, seemingly without provocation.
Here's a clip of video shot by Aaron Blanton that NYPD released:
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea called the incident "troubling" in a statement on Monday. After the Internal Affairs Bureau conducted an investigation, the probationary police officer was suspended without pay.
"This case has been referred to the Department Advocate for disciplinary action," Shea said. "There are other matters that we are actively investigating and we will continue to be transparent as the process continues."
The commissioned added: "Trust is critical to effective policing. Trust takes a long time to earn and it is very easy to lose. We will continue to work relentlessly to earn and keep that trust because without community partnership, we cannot effectively do our jobs."
The unnamed officer who was suspended is among at least four others facing discipline for misconduct during citywide demonstrations against police brutality.
An officer who shoved a protester, resulting in a seizure and concussion when she fell to the ground, faces assault charges. Officers who tore off a demonstrator's mask and pepper sprayed him and slammed a car door into another standing in the street were suspended and placed on modified duty, respectively.
Both city and state officials are investigating police misconduct at the protests, including the New York State Attorney General. The NYPD opened another investigation late last week into the beating of a Bronx teenager that left him with a brutal gash on his face.
Mayor Bill de Blasio commended Shea on Tuesday for releasing and acting on the video showing an officer "who did something that didn't conform with our values."
But the department did not release the video to Gothamist until five inquiries to the NYPD's public information office, two to City Hall, and almost 24 hours later.
The department did not answer questions about the officer's name or the total updated number of officers disciplined or under investigation in relation to conduct at the protests.
This story has been updated with revised video and photo credits.
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Sydney Pereira
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