Rally held in support of man allegedly thrown to the ground by police

Concerned residents were out Thursday rallying in front of the 69th Precinct to show support for the man thrown to the ground while being taken into custody.

News 12 Staff

Mar 6, 2020, 1:51 AM

Updated 1,756 days ago

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Concerned residents were out Thursday rallying in front of the 69th Precinct to show support for the man thrown to the ground while being taken into custody.
Cellphone video of the incident captured by a witness went viral. In the video, plainclothes officers are seen holding the arm of Fitzroy Gayle while he was asking what crime he committed. The video goes on and shows more officers arriving on the scene and taking Gayle to the ground.
Dafne Gayle, Fitzroy's mom, says the incident reminds her of the Eric Garner case.
Police say Gayle and another man were in the park smoking a lit marijuana cigarette and ran away, leading police to apprehend the two.
"We expect them to protect our children, that's what they're supposed to do, not brutalize them and treat them like animals," says Dafne Gayle.
Sen. Roxanne Persaud spoke at the rally and is calling for a full investigation into the incident.
According to Commissioner Dermot Shea, Gayle was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, resisting arrest and unlawful obstruction of governmental administration.
Dafne Gayle and other community members plan to march on Saturday from the park where the incident happened to the 69th Precinct.