Photo: Bridgewater Police Department
Avideocirculating online showing the police response to a fight between two teens has gone viral in what critics are calling an example of racial bias.
In the video, a Black boy and white boy can be seen verbally arguing before pushing and shoving each other at the Bridgewater Commons Mall in Bridgewater Township, N.J. The fight eventually escalates and a piece of furniture is shown sliding along the floor. The white teen then gets on top of the Black teen and throws him to the floor.
When two officers arrive, they pull the white teen off of the Black teen and one sits him on a couch. One officer then tackles the Black teen and begins to handcuff him with the assistance of the other officer. Meanwhile, the white teen is seen in the background watching, unrestrained.
In the video, a woman can be heard saying, “It is because he’s Black, racially motivated.”
Since the video surfaced online, the police department has received widespread criticism.
One social media userwrote, “The Bridgewater Mall Fight is the clearest example of how police actively use race as a shorthand for who they perceive as a threat. See for yourself.”
In astatementissued Tuesday, Bridgewater Township Mayor Matthew Moench, said that a request has been put in for the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office to review the incident.
“[Police Chief Paul Payne] has requested that the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office conduct an independent review of the incident, with the unqualified support of the BPD,” said Moench.
“It is not appropriate for me or any other Township official to comment any further on the details of this incident while an investigation is ongoing, except to say that I am completely confident that the Prosecutor’s review will be impartial, objective and thorough,” he added.
The Bridgewater Township Police Department also issued astatementon its site noting it is aware of the video and cooperating with the investigation.
“We recognize that this video has made members of our community upset and are calling for an internal affairs investigation. The officers were able to respond quickly to this incident and stop it from escalating because of a tip we received from the community,” reads the statement.
source: people.com
