A viral video shows NYPD officers beating a Black man, Shaquan Davis, after he questioned them about tackling his relative, an 18-year-old Black woman, holding a sparkler on July 4th. The incident began when the officers first approached a white man setting off fireworks and spoke to him politely about the legalities. However, they aggressively tackled the young woman with a sparkler, which is illegal in New York City. Upon realizing she was a girl, they apologized and let her go without arrest.
Davis, demanding to know why they had tackled her, was then attacked by the officers. He now faces several charges, including felony assault on a police officer. The incident, which occurred around 9:30 p.m. in Gravesend, Brooklyn, has sparked outrage after being posted on Instagram by Hawk Newsome and Chivona Newsome, co-founders of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York.
New York City has strict laws against fireworks, with all consumer fireworks, including sparklers, being illegal. The NYPD was patrolling to enforce these laws when they approached the young woman. Newsome described the officers' initial approach to the white man as "cordial" but stated they tackled the young woman without any commands to put down the fireworks.
The video shows officers repeatedly punching Davis while another civilian tried to intervene. The situation escalated when a third officer pulled out a Taser. Despite the bystanders' outrage, the NYPD claimed Davis interfered with their arrest of the young woman, allowing her to flee.
Newsome believes racial profiling is the root cause, noting that white people across the street from the precinct were still shooting off fireworks. Davis was detained for 24 hours at the 61st Precinct. The video has led to widespread outrage and further discussions on police behavior and racial bias.
Link: Atanta Black Star
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