Oh, no. Not again. New York City Police Department officials have stripped an officer of his gun and placed him on desk duty following allegations of excessive force, which was captured on viral video.
Last week, Officer Daniel Pantaleo was removed from the streets after apparently tackling Eric Garner, 43, on a sidewalk in Staten Island and putting him in a choke hold, the report says. Garner, who could be heard on the video complaining that he could not breathe, later died.
Now, in the latest incident, which occurred about 8 p.m. Wednesday, Officer Joel Edouard, 36, reportedly tackled Jahmiel Cuffee, 32, after stopping him on a suspicion of possession of marijuana, the News writes.
Gary Dormer, an outraged bystander, recorded what followed in a grisly episode that took place on Malcolm X Blvd. in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant section, reports say.
“He abruptly stomped on top of the gentleman’s head,” Dormer told PIX 11. “He lifted his foot with excessive force and came down like he was stepping on an ant or a roach or something at the time.”
Cuffee “was taken to a hospital with neck and head injuries and charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and pot possession,” the Daily News reports. The incident is under investigation.
The Rev. Al Sharpton and Garner’s family have called for a federal civil rights investigation into the incident to stop the use of choke holds, which were banned by the department 20 years ago. In addition, it appears officers need to be trained or retrained about unnecessary or excessive force.
Read more at the Daily News and PIX 11.