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The police pulls the child out of his mother's arms - and pushes the African-American woman to the ground, treating her with pepper spray.
These recordings from Rochester, New York state cause outrage.
Policeman / Bodycam
»Woman, black, with a 3-year-old child, gray jacket, black pants, red hair. «
The situation began with a police call about a shoplifting, and the emergency services stopped a black woman on the street.
Bodycam recordings
“Did you steal something from the store?” “I didn't steal anything. Look. "
The situation escalates in less than a minute.
The police bodycams document a short chase - and then the arrest of the woman, who continues to plead her innocence.
The situation is tense.
Bodycam recordings
"Stop it, calm down." "I did nothing!"
Pepper spray is then used.
Only a month ago, emergency services in Rochester used pepper spray against a nine-year-old child - now the police have to comment again on an over-harsh operation.
Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan, Rochester Police Chief
“It's not just a question of whether a policy has been followed. Our guidelines would say yes, but I have to ask myself: Just because we can do something, should we do it? Or maybe we could achieve the same thing with a different strategy. "
Policeman / Bodycam
»The chick can defend herself - holy bimbam!«
Police violence has continued to occur in Rochester.
In the recent past, assignments that were classified as overly tough resulted in personnel consequences.