Courtroom packed as man beaten by Peekskill police officer in viral video is arraigned on 4 charges
Damar Fields was assigned an attorney, Glen Malia, of Peekskill, and was greeted at the courthouse by about 25 activists from around the Hudson Valley and New York City who have been following his story.
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A Peekskill man seen in a viral video being violently arrested by police was arraigned Thursday on charges stemming from the incident.
Damar Fields, 42, pleaded not guilty in Peekskill City Court to four charges: public lewdness, obstructing government administration, resisting arrest and possession of a controlled substance.
Fields was assigned an attorney, Glen Malia, of Peekskill, and was greeted at the courthouse by about 25 activists from around the Hudson Valley and New York City who have been following his story.
Fields' family said he is not yet ready to speak publicly about the Dec. 3 encounter at the gazebo at Riverfront Green Park.Fields' mother, Barbara Simpson, said the family is thankful for the attention put on her son's case.
"The support has been phenomenal and I truly appreciate it," she said, "to know that we're not alone."
Cell phone video taken by a bystander shows a wide shot of some of the incident.
Police body camera video released by the Westchester District Attorney shows all of the incident from three angles, including from the point of view of the officer who first arrived.
The officer responded to the gazebo to find Fields acting erratically with his pants down.
The officer tased Fields, which sent Fields to the ground.
The officer then tased Fields four more times and punched him, drawing blood, as Fields tried to avoid being cuffed and made death threats toward the officer.
Backup then arrived to help arrest Fields and deescalate the situation.
Activists who demonstrated Thursday outside the courthouse want Fields' charges dropped entirely, seeking to put more focus on the officer and Peekskill Police Department policy on how to deal with certain, more vulnerable people.
The Peekskill Police Benevolent Association, which represents the department's officers and is fully supporting the officer, said last month through its attorney the officer knew Fields' history with addiction and mental illness.
"These agents are not able to mediate," one protester said, adding that some officers tend to be "the first to act in terms of violence rather than to curtail confrontation."
Westchester District Attorney Susan Cacace said in a Dec. 22 press release she determined there was "an insufficient basis to pursue criminal charges" against the officer, though she recommended the department revisit training programs on dealing with mentally ill people and deescalation techniques.
The Peekskill Police Department is now doing an internal investigation.
Chief Adam Renwick said at the last city council meeting that if the internal investigation finds the officer violated department policy, he could face discipline.
Fields is due back in court Feb. 26 when prosecutors are expected to provide evidence and witness information to Fields' attorney.
Once the misdemeanor charges are resolved, Fields' family is planning to take civil action against the city and police department.
