Video of Pennsylvania officer restraining man sparks protests | Information

Online video posted on social media that exhibits a Pennsylvania law enforcement officer with his knee on a man’s neck although making an attempt to restrain him has prompted protests and a demand from customers from the local Black Life Matter group to suspend the officers associated.

The online video shot Saturday night time from a passer-by’s motor vehicle demonstrates officers in Allentown, Pennsylvania restraining a person on the floor outside the house the unexpected emergency room of the Sacred Coronary heart Campus of St Luke’s Medical center. An officer has his elbow on the man’s neck ahead of switching to a knee to keep him down while other officers restrained his arms.

The male does not look to be resisting throughout the video clip.

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GRAPHIC Video clip: @AllentownPolice held down this man’s face to the pavement and then one particular of its officers put their knee on his neck!! This occurred yesterday and is accurately what led to #GeorgeFloyd‘s dying. We need to have this officer’s identify and badge # NOW. #ICantBreathe pic.twitter.com/3qSlKGSgF4

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— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) July 12, 2020

Allentown Police introduced a assertion Sunday night time saying the interaction is being investigated and added video clips are being reviewed.

The Allentown division produced facts about its use of pressure plan earlier this thirty day period, 5 weeks right after a white Minneapolis law enforcement officer set his knee on George Floyd’s neck for a number of minutes, even following he stopped responding. Floyd’s demise has set off protests all around the entire world contacting for an stop to police brutality and systemic racism.

The policy prohibits neck restraints and chokeholds. It stated that officers need to only use the sum of force required to control the problem.

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Just past 7 days, the Allentown Law enforcement Office praised them selves for releasing their use of power policy.

No sooner than a 7 days following the APD produced this policy, a law enforcement officer was viewed making use of the same use of pressure, knee to the neck, method that killed George Floyd

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— Black Lives Make a difference to Lehigh Valley (@BLMlehighvalley) July 12, 2020

According to the police statement, officers had been outside the clinic for an unrelated matter when they saw a male staggering in the avenue, vomiting and stopping in the driveway of the ER.

The officers and medical center workers interacted with the male, who commenced to yell and spit at them, police explained. The statement mentioned the male was “noncompliant which required officers to restrain” him. It is unclear from the movie how prolonged the officer experienced his knee on the man’s neck.

The person was taken care of at the hospital and produced.

Police have not introduced the name or race of any people today found in the online video.

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Protestors are collecting at 7th and Hamilton in reaction to a video circulating social media that reveals a police officer placing his knee on a man’s neck outside the house St. Luke’s Sacred Heart campus in Allentown. pic.twitter.com/O1YS9YSXT7

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— Kayla Dwyer (@kayla_dwyer17) July 12, 2020

The movie was posted to social media where folks on the Black Life Subject to Lehigh Valley Fb web site demanded answers from law enforcement. The team fashioned a protest late Saturday in entrance of the police station, and is planning another march to Town Hall on Monday night with community leaders slated as speakers.

Allentown Mayor Ray O’Connell and Chief of Law enforcement Glenn Grantiz Jr confirmed up to the protest. The two mentioned the law enforcement require to investigate the issue further more. O’Connell termed the movie “disturbing”.

Police said in their statement that they strategy on releasing much more videos afterwards this week.