Two New Jersey police officers are under investigation after breaking a scuffle at Bridgewater Commons Mall.
A video being circulated on social media shows two teenagers engaging in a physical altercation, shortly before officers pinned the black teen to the ground and handcuffed him, leaving the white teen involved in the fight sitting on a couch.
The teenagers were first spotted having verbal arguments. The situation quickly escalated to a physical fight, where both teens threw blows at one another. As the white teen slams the black teen onto the floor, officers run over to the scene, tossing the white teen onto the couch, and putting his knee into the black teen’s back as he’s handcuffed.
The woman officer pushes the white teenager onto a nearby couch and motions for him to continue to be there. At the same time, the male officer tackles the Black teenager to the floor, sitting on him and handcuffing him, with the woman officer speedily kneeling on his back to hold him down on the ground.
An eyewitness was heard saying “It’s trigger he is Black. Racially enthusiastic”. According to a report by NJ.com, both teens were banned from the mall for three years, and the Bridgewater Police Department is currently investigating the incident.
The department said in a statement on Facebook;
“We recognize that this video has made members of our community upset and are calling for an internal affairs investigation.
“We have requested that the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office assist us in this matter.”
Troy Fischer, senior general manager of the mall, told NJ Advance Media that police officers are not usually stationed at the mall, but the Bridgewater Police Department received a tip that a fight might breakout there on Saturday night. Subsequently, the police department dispatched officers to the scene prior to the incident.
Eboné, mother of the black kid identified as Kye told ABC 7 that she was grateful that her son is alright but asked that the two police officers be fired.
She said;
“I had to observe it on mute. I nonetheless have not watched it and listened to the audio, I am infant-stepping my way into observing it, but it can be just crazy.
“It doesn’t consider two cops to keep a 14-year-outdated boy down who is not resisting, when the other boy is just heading free of charge and however heading off on my son. It just isn’t going to make feeling/”
Watch a video from scene of the fight below………………………….
White teen starts the fight and two officers jump on and handcuffs the Black teen only. I told y’all these cops be racist as hell in police departments across America.
— JUNIOR (@ACCORDINGtoJr) February 15, 2022
What’s up @PhilMurphyNJ ?
Bridgewater Mall pic.twitter.com/J7ceayxoBj
