A viral surveillance video that shows a group grabbing and kicking two police officers outside a migrant shelter in Times Square last month has become the latest Rorschach test in New York City’s age-old debates about crime and immigration.
Some conservatives and members of law enforcement have blamed the attack on progressive immigration laws and bail reform, while advocates have dismissed those claims as unfounded political rhetoric.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office has charged six people and announced an indictment on Tuesday against the man at the center of the video, 24-year-old Yohenry Brito. Prosecutors say they’ll unveil the charges against him at a court hearing in March. Bragg also said his office is working with law enforcement to identify everyone involved and hold them accountable. His office is presenting charges to a grand jury this week.
“We will not rest until every person who assaulted a police officer in this awful attack is held accountable,” Bragg said in a statement.
As the video of the incident continues to circulate, law enforcement officials, political pundits and everyday New Yorkers across the political spectrum are spinning the details to fit their preferred narratives. All that commentary has muddied some of the facts and the broader context. As the case continues to propel the political divide, Gothamist has this fact check:
What happened?
On Jan. 27, police tried to disburse a “disorderly” group on 42nd Street in Times Square, according to NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell. What the group was doing before police arrived is still unclear at this point. As officers tried to arrest Brito, he swung his arms and tensed up, leading him and the arresting officers to fall to the ground, according to a criminal complaint.
Grainy footage of the incident released by the NYPD shows two officers tussling with Brito on the sidewalk. It then shows a handful of people surrounding the officers. Some are seen trying to pull the…
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