Police Release Bodycam Footage of Officer Pepper-Spraying Protester After Pulling Down Mask
New York police released bodycam footage on June 16 of an incident from late May in which an officer pulled down the mask of a protester and pepper-sprayed the man in the face during a Brooklyn rally.
The near-30-minute video includes footage from two officers, one of whom was responsible for the May 30 pepper-spray incident. Both bodycams capture vision of police facing off with protesters, many standing with their arms in the air in front of the officers. Police can be heard repeatedly saying “stay back” to the protesters.
A black protester wearing a mask, identified in local news reports as Andrew Smith, can be seen reeling away after being sprayed, although neither camera clearly captures the incident.
Separate footage, uploaded to Twitter, shows Smith standing with his arms raised before the officer pulls down his face mask and sprays his face.
The New York Police Department said the officer involved in the incident had been suspended without pay and the case had been referred to the Department Advocate for disciplinary action. Credit: NYPD via Storyful
