The run-in reportedly began when officers were trying to break up a gathering of people in the East Village on Saturday, which is prohibited under current lockdown measures in the city.
The video shows police tussling with a suspect while onlookers ask aloud what they did. A man then approaches the incident, and the officer tells him to keep his stance while brandishing his taser.
“What you flexing for? Don’t flex,” the officer warns the man, who is off camera. After the man appears to continue approaching, the officer brings him to the ground and proceeds to strike him in the face several times.
IS THIS #NYPD BRUTALITY OR NOT? We report, you decide. This happened on Ave D and 9th St, in the #LowerEastSide of #Manhattan on Saturday - @NYCMayor @NYPDnews pic.twitter.com/0pTDTat17S
— NYC Scanner (@NYScanner) May 3, 2020
