On Thursday, June 13, local resident Chris Sicina shared a video on Facebook of an arrest in progress on Pennsylvania Avenue, where a suspect is dragged to the ground, appears to be kneed and punched in the head by a Port Jervis Police Department officer.
The video was accompanied by the caption, “This Has To Stop ! … This is police brutality.”
In the video, a police officer can be seen kneeing the suspect several times while he is on the ground. The second man, in plain clothes, then comes into the frame and strikes the suspect with a closed fist near his head. It is unclear what happened before the arrest or video began rolling or what prompted the incident.
In response, an investigation has been launched which is “ongoing.” The department says it is “currently investigating the video and the use of force administratively,” and the District Attorney's Office is conducting its own separate investigation of the incident.
More information is expected to be released as the investigation continues.
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