(Daily Mail) – Things are heating up in New Jersey as Footage from a street fight on Tuesday afternoon revealed a Jersey City police officer – who is white – repeatedly striking a man – who is African American – while he’s pinned to the ground, prompting activists to call for the cops to be fired.
The video was filmed by a witness who captured the man trying to raise his arms to protect his face from being struck by the law enforcement officer over and over again. Reports from those on the scene of the event stated that over 20 police officers showed up the scene on Bostwick Avenue.
The men had been involved in an altercation prior to their arrival after a 5.15 pm call. The entire incident lasted 10 minutes and police estimated 100 people were involved. Footage released by the Hudson County Prosecutors Office (HCPO) showed the fight before it escalated to police using force.
The police said bodycam footage will be reviewed as part of an investigation into the incident by HCPO. However, the officers are not being investigated. Six officers initially arrived but police could not initially confirm how many ended up there. It’s unclear exactly what happened before the police started using batons on the group. However, police said pepper spray was not working on one of the men.
Jersey City Public Safety Officer James Shea said they will be looking into the time period between the two social media videos. Shea said in a press conference on Wednesday that they will also look into whether the officers involved were wearing face masks during the interaction. MORE
