Footage Shows NYPD Officer Using A Chokehold During An Arrest Following Ban

Source: Alexi Rosenfeld / Getty

Once again, police officers aren’t following protocol.

On Sunday, an officer from the NYPD was caught on camera administering an illegal chokehold on a Black man as three of his colleagues piled on top of him in order to detain him.

In the video, posted by TMZ, the man laid face down on the pavement as onlookers can be heard pleading for the cop with his arm wrapped around his neck to “let go.” When the officer finally relaxed his chokehold, the man appeared to be completely unconscious.

According to reports from NBC New York, the incident took place early Sunday morning on Rockaway Beach in Queens. Authorities said they were responding to a call that three men were on the boardwalk allegedly harassing people and throwing objects. The officers involved claim that they were approached by one of the men with “a small bag,” which they thought would be thrown at them.

In a statement, the NYPD said that an internal review has been initiated, and the officer who can be seen performing the chokehold could face suspension.

“We are aware of the video and there is an active investigation underway by the Internal Affairs Bureau,” the statement reads. “This matter is taken extremely seriously and we expect to have an update this evening as the investigation unfolds.”

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a 10-part police reform bill earlier this month, which includes prohibiting the use of a chokehold, along with the “Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act.” Under this law, any police officer who injures or kills someone from a “chokehold or similar restraint” can be charged with a class C felony and face up to 15 years in prison.

The man who was arrested sustained minor injuries and NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea announced that the officer who used the chokehold has been suspended without pay.