A video of Syracuse police officers arresting a 23-year-old man last week has gone viral, but authorities claim that the incident was under review before that happened. Regardless, a city official was quick to condemn the arrest as “excessive.”
Officers pulled over Shaolin Moore on Friday for allegedly playing loud music. In the video, you can hear Moore’s friend repeatedly saying “why you doing all that?” as the officer pulls Moore out of the car by his neck.
The officer then wrapped his arm around Moore’s neck as he pulled him to the ground. Two other officers then surrounded Moore to arrest him. The video ended when another police officer confiscated the phone. The officer could be heard saying “shut it down.”
https://twitter.com/St_Lu3/status/1134872272903258113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fcnycentral.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fsyracuse-common-council-president-viral-video-of-force-used-by-spd-very-disturbing
The person who posted the video on social media over the weekend said, “So ya just gonna keep abusing ya power no matter how many incidents we’ve had huh? All for loud music…”
The officers claimed that Moore was resisting arrest. There is a city ordinance that prohibits “excessive, unnecessary or unusually loud noise.”
Syracuse Police Chief Kenton Bucker said in a statement that “the case was already under review before the video was posted online.”
“I recognize the concerns that have been raised by the community and I want to assure the community that under Department protocol, when officers use force, including this time, we complete a thorough investigation,” Bucker said.
Bucker added that “the incident is under active review which will occur on a timely basis. The officers continue to be in service and will be interviewed as part of the review.”
Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh released the following statement about the incident: “Out of respect for the process and in the interest of both the arrested individual and the officers, we will await the findings of the review.”
While Walsh took no sides, Helen Hudson, President of the Syracuse Common Council, released a statement on Tuesday calling the video “very disturbing:”
[N]o one should be treated in such a manner by the police that are sworn to protect and serve. The force that was used in this stop in my opinion was excessive and will not continue to be tolerated.
The Syracuse Common Council is a legislative branch of city government.
Hudson would added that she “understand[s] that the Syracuse Police have a tremendously hard job” and added that “there is a term known as innocent until proven guilty.”
[Screengrab via WSTM News]
