A New York City police officer was caught on video Saturday aiming a stun gun at a Flatbush resident over an alleged social distancing violation. The video shows the plainclothes officer, with no facial protective gear slapping and kneeling on top of 33-year-old Donni Wright in Manhattan's East Village.
Councilmember Farah N. Louis, representing New York's 45th district where the Wright resides, issued a public statement on the incident after many New Yorkers took to social media in protest.
"It is unacceptable for NYPD officers to enforce the rules, however they deem fit, in different zip codes," Louis said.
The officer has been stripped of his gun and badge and is currently placed on desk duty while an internal investigation ensues.
Before Wright's arrest, two other individuals on the same block were also subject to abuse, raising questions about the NYPD's enforcement of social distancing and an inconsistency in how it is enforced across different demographics.
"Racial bias has no place in community policing, yet communities of color have received more summonses and are victims of excessive use of force by the NYPD. The answer to aiding and monitoring public adherence to social distance policies is not more enforcement, but rather a standardized approach and merely just communicating the policy to keep all New Yorkers safe.
"I am calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea to hold all officers involved in egregious and inhumane treatment of Donni Wright accountable and assure that our communities will be treated fairly."
