No charges in Peekskill violent arrest sparks calls for accountability and reform
Peekskill residents are calling for accountability and reform at the city's police department after no charges were filed against an officer seen on camera during a violent arrest.
Peekskill residents are calling for accountability and reform at the city's police department after no charges were filed against an officer seen on camera during a violent arrest.
Westchester District Attorney Susan Cacace announced Monday that criminal charges would not be pursued against officers seen in a viral video Tasing and beating a homeless man they knew to be mentally unstable.
The Dec. 3 police bodycam video shared Monday by the DA's office shows a Peekskill officer Tasing Damar Fields to compel him to put his face on the ground, and then punching Fields in the face several times. In the censored video, Fields's pants are down, he is fighting with the officer and threatening to kill him.
Fields's family has said he suffered from mental illness and has encouraged him to seek professional help. Relatives said the officer should not have so quickly escalated the interaction and should not have Tased Fields four more times once he was on the ground.
Fields will be arraigned on Jan. 8 at Peekskill City Court on multiple charges including public lewdness and resisting arrest.
NAACP Peekskill Chapter President Priscilla Augustin was not pleased at Monday night's City Council meeting about the DA’s decision to not criminally charge the officer who initially responded to the park's gazebo.
"We have to speak with the DA's office because I think — no, I know — they made a gross error," Augustin said.
Peekskill Police Chief Adam Renwick said at the meeting that the police department is still conducting its own internal investigation into the officer's actions.
"It's focused on whether department policies, training standards or professional expectations were violated," Renwick said.
Rome Allen, an acquaintance of Fields, said the officer did not have to continue tasing him, suggesting officers be monitored for stress and anger.
"If you got cops out here who are scared — it's about evaluating the police's mental [wellbeing] on a regular basis," Allen said.
The officer is still on administrative leave while the internal investigation continues. The Peekskill Police Benevolent Association, the union that represents the department's officers, previously said the officer has the union's "unequivocal support."
The PBA's attorney did not respond Tuesday to requests for comment.
Kazi Oliver, a therapeutic musician who helps manage mental and emotional issues through sound, said he was appalled by the DA’s decision.
"Accountability is something that really needs to be implemented today," he said.
Oliver said police should be required to do mindfulness exercises to learn about themselves and learn to better handle people in crisis.
"Mental health is something that needs to be addressed here in this community and communities all over this country," he said, "because everybody's dealing with mental health issues. It's something that we need help with."
