NYPD Officer Punches Bystander During Social Distancing Arrest

Video surfaced, Sunday, of an NYPD officer punching a bystander while giving out a ticket for breaking social-distancing rules. The incident in the East Village led to three arrests and an internal investigation.

Drew Angerer / Getty Images

Mayor Bill de Blasio reacted to video of the incident on Twitter writing, “Saw the video from the Lower East Side and was really disturbed by it. The officer involved has been placed on modified duty and an investigation has begun. The behavior I saw in that video is simply not acceptable.”

“It started out as a social distancing enforcement,” Police Commissioner Dermot Shea during a press briefing, Sunday. “I am aware of the video that’s out there.

“I would just reiterate that we had tens of thousands of interactions with people all across the city yesterday, most of them without having to issue any type of enforcement activity, whether it’s a summons or arrest.”

The same day, the NYPD also handed out over 40 tickets for violating social distancing guidelines. “I would just reiterate that we had tens of thousands of interactions with people all across the city yesterday, most of them without having to issue any type of enforcement activity, whether it’s a summons or arrest,” Shea said.

[Via]