The NYPD has released body camera footage showing the moment a police officer pulled down a protester's mask to pepper spray him durin...
The NYPD has released body camera footage showing the moment a police officer pulled down a protester's mask to pepper spray him during a George Floyd demonstration in Brooklyn.
The incident took place on May 30 and had sparked outrage among the community after bystander video showed the cop directly spraying a man in the face, unprovoked, as he stood with his hands in the air.
The officer involved, who was not identified, was suspended without pay earlier this month and is now facing disciplinary action, the NYPD confirmed.
Body cam footage shows the moment a police officer approached a male protester (pictured in a red mask) and told him to stand back while pushing him
When the protester replies 'Don't touch me', the officer immediately yanks down his mask and sprays him in the face
Police on Tuesday released two clips from body camera footage of two officers associated with the incident, showing cops gratuitously discharging the irritant on peaceful protesters in a bid to disperse crowds.
As hundreds of protesters gather on the street, the cops are heard repeatedly telling people to stand back while a police cruiser tries to make its way through in the background.
'Stand back, stand back, stand back!' The officers shout, while using their batons to push people out of the way.
Many of the protesters appear generally calm and are holding their hands up in the air.
At one point, one of the officers is seen telling the male protester, dressed in a black graphic t-shirt and a red protective mask, to step away while pushing him back.
The man, who is standing among other protesters with both arms up, is heard telling the officer, 'don't touch me,' before the cop yanks down his mask and sprays him directly in the face.
The protester is heard screaming in pain before walking away holding his face
The man (far left) is seen being comforted by a friend as he walks away in pain
The man then screams in pain before walking away holding his face, clearly affected.
Video of the incident was first shared on Twitter by Anju J. Rupchandani who said he was a 'family member'.
'I am heartbroken and disgusted to see one of my family members a young black man w/his hands up peacefully protesting and an NYPD officer pulls down his mask and pepper sprays him,' wrote Rupchandani.
The NYPD on Tuesday confirmed the department's Internal Affairs Bureau concluded its investigation and the officer remains suspended.
The video clips come after Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new rule requiring police to release all body camera footage of shootings and other instances when force is used and injury or death occurs, within 30 days of the incident.
It overturns a policy that gave the New York Police Department wide discretion on when it made the videos public.
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea previously announced the officer had been suspended on June 5, and said the case had been referred for disciplinary action.
'The actions by these officers stand apart from the restrained work of the thousands of other officers who have worked tirelessly to protect those who are peacefully protesting and keep all New Yorkers safe,' Shea said.
'While the investigations have to play out, based on the severity of what we saw, it is appropriate and necessary to assure the public that there will be transparency during the disciplinary process.'
An agency photo captured the moment the officer, who was not identified, discharges pepper spray onto the man's face
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