"What Crime Did I Commit?": Viral Video Shows Several NYPD Cops Violently Arrest Young Man
The young man was stopped and arrested by NYPD officers for allegedly smoking marijuana.
A video of a young Black man being stopped and violently arrested by several NYPD officers in Brooklyn has surfaced on social media.
READ: NYPD Officer Shoves Teen Out Of Subway Station In Viral Video
The video, taken and shared by the Twitter account @TheVelvetRope_, shows an undercover cop detaining the young man in Canarsie on Wednesday night, and refusing to answer the man's question on why he is being stopped. As the video continues, several other cops are seen running in the direction of the undercover cop and young man, where they proceed to tackle him to the ground and arrest him. It is has since been revealed that the young man's name is Vince Carter.
WARNING: The video included in the tweet contains police violence.
According to Gothamist, Carter was stopped because officers saw "two males inside the park smoking a lit marijuana cigarette and as the officers approached the individuals they fled the location." Police said that one individual was arrested and one was issued a summons. (Marijuana was decriminalized in New York City last year.)
Gothamist also noted that it's still unknown what charges Carter faces, his age, if he is still detained, and if the department feels the use of force was necessary.
Brooklyn criminal defense attorney Rebecca Kavanagh spoke on the video via Twitter, writing: "Regardless of the reason for the stop (because I am sure NYPD will come up with a reason like a report of a gun) there is no possible justification for this horrific use of violence."
H/T: Gothamist