A video recorded in a Brooklyn SNAP office has gained national attention.
The New York Police Department apparently tried to pry a 1-year-old from his mother’s arms during an arrest in a food assistance office. The disturbing footage of the incident went viral after being posted to Facebook. And a mixed reacted to the video stirred a heated debate on social media.
NYPD said they were called after a 23-year-old mother, Jazmine Headley, was repeatedly asked by Human Resource Officers not to sit on the floor of the social services facility, reports PIX11.
Despite several requests from HRA Headley refused because there were no chairs available. She continued to sit on the floor with her son. Police say:
“[Headley] was then informed by police numerous times to leave the location, and she refused.”
A bystander recorded a group of police officers yanking her 1-year-old child from her arms as Headley was dragged across the floor. She’s reportedly heard in the video screaming:
“They’re hurting my son. They’re hurting my son. I’m begging you.”
Watch the shocking footage below:
So I’m At 275 Bergen Street Handling My Business Or Whatever & There Wasn’t Any More Chairs For This Lady To Sit Down So She Sat In The Corner On The Floor. The Security Guard Came Over Said What Ever She Said To Her & She Made The Security Guard Feel Dumb So She Called The Cops On Her & This Was The Outcome SMH Mind You She Had Her Baby In Her Hands The Whole Time??♀️??♀️??♀️ I’m So Fucking Disgusted with The NYPD?? EVRYBODY PLEASE SHARE!!! I’m a mother myself & I would’ve lost my fucking mind if this was me they would’ve had to kill me????
Posted by Asia Monae on Friday, December 7, 2018
Headley was charged with resisting arrest, acting in a manner injurious to a child, obstructing governmental administration and trespassing, reports NBC 4.
NYPD called the video “troubling” and said the encounter was under review. Patrick Lynch, president of the police union, said in a statement that the officers were put in an “impossible situation.”
The public shared their reaction online. Some commenters responded with outrage and wrote:
This is horrible and makes no sense. What was she arrested for??? Not wanting let go of her baby? This can happen to anyone these days. This is insane!
Wow! I am outraged! That poor baby is going to have trauma!
While others condemned the mom for putting her child in a dangerous situation. Some wrote:
Half a story here I reckon … why in earth would the woman hold on to that poor child so tightly. Let police do their job. Bunch of banshee’s gathered around screeching.
When she sat on the floor, she was in violation of Center rules, and when she refused to stand up, She was asked to leave. She was trespassing at that point, and subject to arrest. She put her baby in danger by choosing to be acting this way. The cops did what they had to do.
Lynch said:
“HRA centers must be safe havens for New Yorkers needing to access benefits to improve their lives.
I am deeply troubled by the incident and a thorough review was launched of the weekend to get to the bottom of what happened.”
The officers involved in the incident were placed on leave.
Headley was detained on separated charges of credit card fraud.
Her son is currently in the custody of his grandmother.