New Haven’s police chief has opened an internal investigation after officers were seen in a video punching a Black man during an arrest.
The nine-minute-long video shows police confront the man in the lobby of an office building in downtown New Haven. After an argument, police wrestle the man to the ground.
One officer is seen in the video punching the man three times in the head while a bystander objects, saying: “Hey! That’s not fair! That’s not fair! He just punched him in his head! That’s not fair! I’m gonna report it … He’s Black and I’m Black too!”
Police Chief Otoniel Reyes told the New Haven Independent that the department plans to release body camera footage of the incident.
This comes as New Haven mayor Justin Elicker pledged last week to soon start using social workers and mental health experts in place of some police calls.
