EAST NEW YORK, Brooklyn — Video has surfaced of NYPD police officers using force to arrest three men in Brooklyn on Saturday after a group gathering refused to disperse, according to police.
Authorities said it all started just after 8:30 p.m. when the officers observed several people gathering near the corner of Fountain and Blake avenues in East New York.
According to police, the group was not following social distancing orders. After cops gave multiple verbal commands for the group to disperse, a man in group refused, prompting the officers to try to place him in custody.
Officials said the man resisted the officers’ attempts to handcuff him.
Meanwhile a second man approached the cops from behind “in an aggressive manner,” trying to interfere with the initial arrest, the NYPD said.
Authorities said a third man in the group also refused orders to disperse and “became boisterous,” which caused a large crowd to form at the scene, making the situation more chaotic.
The NYPD said the first man now faces charges including obstructing governmental administration, unlawful assembly, violation of local law, disorderly conduct and harassment.
The second man is expected to be charged with similar charges, as well as criminal possession of marijuana, tampering with physical evidence and resisting arrest, officials said.
The third man is likely to be hit with charges including obstructing governmental administration, disorderly conduct and violation of local law, according to the NYPD.
This Brooklyn forceful arrest occurred the same night as another controversial social-distancing arrest in Manhattan’s East Village that resulted in a cop being placed on modified duty.
The NYPD initially said Sunday they arrested three people and issued 51 summonses across the city Saturday, with the majority of those being social-distancing related.
