The mayor of Mount Vernon is acknowledging the potential abuse of power by Mount Vernon police.

The incident in question occurred in August of 2019 when Officer Ryan Hughes is seen on camera shoving a 54-year-old Black woman into an interview room while her hands were cuffed behind her back. She struck a concrete wall face first, and the incident was caught on a body camera.

"Please know that this matter has been discussed with the family as well has been passed over to our Commissioner Glen Scott - and it is now in internal affairs for investigation," says Mayor Shawn Patterson-Howard.

RELATED: Mount Vernon mayor: DA moved too slowly on police-brutality case

"We are living in a time right now where there's so much heightened anxiety around police community relationships and police misconduct." she says. "And so we felt the need to address it."

The mayor says she is prepared to take action if it's found that anything was done inappropriately.