Video shows Peekskill, N.Y., officer kicking, swearing at suspect on ground
A suburban New York police officer is under investigation after video shows him kicking and cursing at a suspect on the ground.
The Peekskill Police Department said Friday the officer is on paid administrative leave while the district attorney probes his actions during the arrest at Riverfront Green Park.
Officer used stun gun before kicking suspect, video shows
Video of the incident shows the officer using a stun gun on suspect Damar Fields, yelling "Get on your [expletive] face," and kicking him after police responded to a complaint about a man near the gazebo in the park along the Hudson River.
A second officer arrives and the first officer punches Fields as the video continues. Both officers end up on top of the Fields and more punches are thrown before three more officers arrive to take him into custody.
"It was disgusting, it was horrible. The young man is traumatized. He's still getting medical help," said activist Darrell Davis, a spokesperson for the 42-year-old suspect's family.
Police in Peekskill had previously arrested Fields in September for alleged misdemeanor drug possession.
"I don't care if this guy is a mass murderer. You had him Tased, helpless, and you pounced on him, and that's not your job," Davis said.
"What we saw was very concerning"
Mayor Vivian McKenzie promised a full and fair internal affairs review of Fields' arrest in the park on Wednesday.
"It's a partial video. It doesn't show the whole incident, but the part that is there is very, very concerning," McKenzie said. "There is always more to the story, but again, I will say, what we saw was very concerning."
In White Plains, District Attorney Susan Cacace assigned her Public Law Enforcement Integrity Unit to investigate how police handled the arrest.
Some in the community have asked New York State Attorney General Letitia James to get involved in the investigation.