The police published a body cam video and there were cell phone recordings of a passerby. The footage shows how a group of police officers in the Queens borough of New York bring an African American man to the ground when he is arrested. One of the officers seems to put his arm around the neck of the man lying face down. Then you hear a voice telling the police to stop. He loosens his grip after another police officer taps him and pulls on his clothes.
It remains unclear whether the victim sustained more than superficial injuries. He did not want to be examined by paramedics and was taken to a hospital. The arrest took place, among other things, on suspicion of disturbance of the peace.
Police chief Dermot Shea spoke in a tweet of a “disturbing incident”. The investigation is still ongoing. The officers were initially suspended.
Use of stranglehold is prohibited
The city of New York only passed a law last week that bans the use of stranglehold and makes it a criminal offense. Since the death of African American George Floyd in a brutal police operation in Minneapolis on May 25, there have been mass protests against racism and police brutality across the country.
Cities and districts then announced police reforms, such as the elimination of controversial practices such as stranglehold. Floyd died after a white police officer pressed his knee into the 46-year-old’s neck for minutes.
hf / ww (dpa, afp)
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