The NYPD is under scrutiny after three officers were seen taking down a teenager on his city bike during a confrontation in the East Village last week.
The 18-year-old, whose identity has not been disclosed, was biking on Thursday at Avenue B and East 14th Street. Clips shared on Instagram by NYS-Ttynews show the incident unfold.
In the video, one officer tackles the teen to the ground while two others grab his arms. They appear to yank his hair and press their knees to his head before leading him to a waiting police car in handcuffs.
“Totally unacceptable,” one user commented on Instagram. “There’s no justification for treating a kid like this over a bike.” Another added, “Why should it take so many officers to arrest a skinny kid?”
“This kind of thing only happens in certain areas,” another Instagram user commented. “I’ve seen worse violations ignored. This kid wasn’t resisting; he was just reacting to the pain they were causing him. It’s not right.”
The NYPD did not provide an immediate response to inquiries on Wednesday. However, sources indicated that the teenager allegedly ran a red light near a traffic safety checkpoint and didn’t stop when asked by the officers.
According to these sources, a second person was riding on the bike’s handlebars, and the group was reportedly behaving recklessly on the sidewalk before the police intervened.
Some online commenters supported the officers’ actions, arguing that the teen resisted arrest by not complying with the officers’ commands.
“He was resisting the whole time,” one wrote. “It was a necessary action for everyone’s safety.”
Others expressed frustration over what they viewed as negative comments directed at law enforcement. “Let’s stop the outrage,” one user stated. “Cops are trained to handle situations like this for their own safety and the public’s.”
