Via Think Progress, a shocking new video of a police arrest in New York City:
A graphic new video shows NYPD officers beating a young boy against a vehicle. After three cops hold the boy against the car, a non-uniformed officer is seen running up and punching the child repeatedly.
In the video, the boy, who is identified as 12 years, and his friend repeatedly ask why they’re being arrested, as onlookers yell at the officers. According to an actress who uploaded the video to Facebook, Sarah Doneghy, the two were approached by police for allegedly pushing down a classmate. In the video, the boys are held against two separate vehicles for several minutes before they’re put in the cars in handcuffs.
[...] The classmate allegedly said that the two boys were not the perpetrators. Officers allegethe victims were actually 16 and 17-years-old, and that they were participating in a gang initiation.
The cops insist it's not what it seems:
A few moments ago, we spoke with police about the events that transpired on Monday. They say that the suspects were not 12 years old. One is 16, while the other two are 17 years old. Cops indicate they were involved in a gang initiation rite on Madison Street across from the Rutgers public housing development.
The suspects are accused of hitting a bystander, a man in his early 20’s, over the head with a cane. Uniformed cops caught up with the suspects on East Broadway, just west of Clinton Street, a few moments later. They say one of the teens resisted arrest. The plainclothes officer, they tell us, stepped in as other cops struggled to cuff the suspect. The teen, they say, was not injured during the arrest. All three have been charged with felony gang assault.
The victim, who lives in Connecticut, required medical attention. The police report stated that he sustained “serious physical injuries.”
The 7th Precinct called Internal Affairs following the incident. That’s standard procedure any time physical force is used during an arrest.
