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A spokesman for the school described the arrest, which occurred near the Newark campus, as "troubling," but declined to release any additional information about the circumstances, including why the youth was stopped by police.
The officers involved were not identified.
“NJIT is part of a larger community, and our university’s partnership with the city of Newark and our shared community is critically important,” the spokesman said. “That relationship is strong thanks to mutual respect and proactive, positive engagement efforts, some of which are led by our Office of Public Safety.”
A video posted to Twitter said police arrested a 15-year-old boy for running a stop sign. Others who commented on the video said he was riding his bicycle when he was stopped, although Daily Voice could not confirm that description of events.
It also shows two officers pinning the boy to the ground. The video had been viewed more than 6,000 times as of Thursday afternoon.
Following is NJIT's statement in response to queries on the matter:
There was a concerning incident on Monday, August 26 involving a juvenile who was apprehended off campus by two of our university police officers. The circumstances of this matter are troubling, and NJIT has launched an investigation that will include the involvement of an independent law enforcement agency. While that investigation proceeds expeditiously, we are conducting a review of pursuit procedures and training and have placed both involved officers on administrative leave. NJIT is part of a larger community, and our university’s partnership with the City of Newark and our shared community is critically important. That relationship is strong thanks to mutual respect and proactive, positive engagement efforts, some of which are led by our Office of Public Safety. We will continue to work in partnership with the City and Newark's community members. We will investigate this matter thoroughly and take all appropriate actions as soon as the investigation is complete.
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