for those that don't read, check the bold:
Video:http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2013/03/elizabeth_police_launch_intern.html#incart_m-rpt-2
ELIZABETH — An internal investigation has been launched into a viral YouTube video that shows an Elizabeth police officer punching a woman in the face as he tries to break up a melee outside of a nightclub last weekend, officials said today.
The officer will remain on active duty while police investigate a 20-second YouTube clip, said Kelly Vence, a city spokeswoman.
Vence declined the identify the officer, and said the woman who was struck has not spoken to authorities. A police spokesman refused to comment on the incident.
In the clip, which has gained more than 11,000 views since it was posted on March 3, the officer is seen attempting to break up a fracas outside of Envy Night Club on North Broad Street. After walking away from a crowd of roughly 10 to 12 people, the officer grabs hold of a man in a black vest and shoves him to the ground. Once the man falls, a woman wearing a red dress appears to grab the officer’s arm, and he responds by punching her.
A man who identified himself as the club’s owner said he didn’t know if the participants in the brawl were at the club over the weekend. James Carey, chairman of the Elizabeth chapter of the People’s Organization for Progress, called the incident "despicable." He said the altercation marked the second time police had injured an unarmed citizen in 48 hours. A police-involved shooting last Friday left a Roselle man seriously injured. That incident is also under investigation.
"This needs some oversight before this gets out of hand," Carey said. "These guys are out of control."
In that incident, Sharif Tankard was shot several times in the legs after a scuffle with police inside the Oakwood Plaza housing complex. Authorities claim Tankard disarmed an officer before he was shot, but community activists contend Tankard was defending himself from police.
Wayne Fisher, a former deputy director of the state Division of Criminal Justice, said the woman appears to have initiated the physical contact, and encouraged residents to wait for the entire story to come out before criticizing the officer.
A spokesman for Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesea declined to comment on the video, but referred to the state’s guidelines on use of force by police, which says officers may use physical force to defend themselves if they feel they are facing a legitimate threat.
"She clearly grabs him before he swings, and this is an immediate sequence of him being confronted by another person," Fisher said. "This happens very quickly and it is not clear from the video that the officer has done anything wrong."
City Councilman Frank Mazza said he knows the officer involved in the latest incident but declined to identify him. He described the officer as a "good cop" who has been with the department for 12 years.
Mazza acknowledged the video is jarring. "The action itself is definitely unacceptable, but we don’t know the circumstances that led up to it," Mazza said. "I’m sure there is more than what we actually saw in 10 seconds."
Udi Ofer, executive director of the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, called for a thorough investigation. "It’s difficult to understand the entire context of this incident from this video alone, but certainly the final punch ... raises very serious concerns about excessive force and must be investigated fully and immediately," he said.
Video:http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2013/03/elizabeth_police_launch_intern.html#incart_m-rpt-2
ELIZABETH — An internal investigation has been launched into a viral YouTube video that shows an Elizabeth police officer punching a woman in the face as he tries to break up a melee outside of a nightclub last weekend, officials said today.
The officer will remain on active duty while police investigate a 20-second YouTube clip, said Kelly Vence, a city spokeswoman.
Vence declined the identify the officer, and said the woman who was struck has not spoken to authorities. A police spokesman refused to comment on the incident.
In the clip, which has gained more than 11,000 views since it was posted on March 3, the officer is seen attempting to break up a fracas outside of Envy Night Club on North Broad Street. After walking away from a crowd of roughly 10 to 12 people, the officer grabs hold of a man in a black vest and shoves him to the ground. Once the man falls, a woman wearing a red dress appears to grab the officer’s arm, and he responds by punching her.
A man who identified himself as the club’s owner said he didn’t know if the participants in the brawl were at the club over the weekend. James Carey, chairman of the Elizabeth chapter of the People’s Organization for Progress, called the incident "despicable." He said the altercation marked the second time police had injured an unarmed citizen in 48 hours. A police-involved shooting last Friday left a Roselle man seriously injured. That incident is also under investigation.
"This needs some oversight before this gets out of hand," Carey said. "These guys are out of control."
In that incident, Sharif Tankard was shot several times in the legs after a scuffle with police inside the Oakwood Plaza housing complex. Authorities claim Tankard disarmed an officer before he was shot, but community activists contend Tankard was defending himself from police.
Wayne Fisher, a former deputy director of the state Division of Criminal Justice, said the woman appears to have initiated the physical contact, and encouraged residents to wait for the entire story to come out before criticizing the officer.
A spokesman for Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesea declined to comment on the video, but referred to the state’s guidelines on use of force by police, which says officers may use physical force to defend themselves if they feel they are facing a legitimate threat.
"She clearly grabs him before he swings, and this is an immediate sequence of him being confronted by another person," Fisher said. "This happens very quickly and it is not clear from the video that the officer has done anything wrong."
City Councilman Frank Mazza said he knows the officer involved in the latest incident but declined to identify him. He described the officer as a "good cop" who has been with the department for 12 years.
Mazza acknowledged the video is jarring. "The action itself is definitely unacceptable, but we don’t know the circumstances that led up to it," Mazza said. "I’m sure there is more than what we actually saw in 10 seconds."
Udi Ofer, executive director of the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, called for a thorough investigation. "It’s difficult to understand the entire context of this incident from this video alone, but certainly the final punch ... raises very serious concerns about excessive force and must be investigated fully and immediately," he said.