A viral video showing several NYPD officers beating a Black man on the Fourth of July began when the cops first approached a white man shooting off fireworks and spoke to him in a cordial manner about the legalities of fireworks under New York state law, according to Hawk Newsome, who co-founded Black Lives Matter of Greater New York.
But the same cops became much more aggressive when they spotted an 18-year-old Black woman wearing a hoodie holding a sparkler in her hand – which happens to be illegal in New York City.
“They tackled the girl because they saw a Black person in a hoodie and thought it was a gangster,” said Newsome, who is helping the victim’s family pursue legal action against the NYPD.
“But when they realized it was a girl, they were apologetic and let the girl go without arrest.”
However, a relative of the young woman, Shaquan Davis, demanded to know why they had assaulted her, which resulted in the cops attacking him.
Now Davis, 27, who had never been arrested in his life, is facing several charges, including felony assault on a police officer as well as resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, disorderly conduct, harassment and assault with the intent to cause physical injury, according to a spokesperson from the New York City Police Department.
The incident took place around 9:30 p.m. in the Gravesend neighborhood of Brooklyn as people throughout the country were celebrating Independence Day. And the video was posted on Instagram by Newsome and his sister, Chivona Newsome, who co-founded Black Lives Matter of Greater New York with her brother.
Cracking Down on Sparklers
New York City has some of the toughest laws against fireworks in the country, where “all consumer fireworks, including sparklers, are illegal to use, buy, sell, or transport,” according to a city-run website that encourages residents to report their neighbors.
That night, the NYPD was making its rounds to prevent people from using fireworks when they pulled up on the block where several residents of all ethnicities and colors were celebrating Independence Day.
They first approached a white man shooting fireworks and began talking to him in what Newsome describes as a “cordial way.”
But they then turned their attention to the young woman wearing the hoodie while holding a sparkler and ran up and tackled her.
“No command to put down the firework, nothing of that sort. They just ran and tackled her,” Newsome said.
Newsome said the cop apologized after realizing that she was a girl and decided not to arrest her but then was approached by Shaquan, who demanded to know why they had tackled her in the first place.
That was when they pounced on him and began punching him in the face repeatedly, which is when the video starts, according to Newsome.
The video shows two police officers holding Davis as they take turns punching him while another male civilian tries to intervene and block the blows from landing. However, the situation escalates when a third officer grabs Davis, allowing one of the others to pull out a Taser on the other civilian and third man who tries to plead with officers to let Davis go.
“Get the f–k back!” one of the officers warns.
After the men back off, the officers push Davis to the opposite of a van, where the violent interaction started, and continue to rough him up before apparently arresting him.
Several bystanders could be here off camera screaming and expressing outrage over what they were witnessing. The video was reposted by other activists and influencers online, leading to widespread outrage.
But in an email to Atlanta Black Star, which can be read below, an NYPD spokesperson said they arrested him because he interfered with their arrest of the young woman, allowing her to flee from the law for the crime of waving a sparkler.
Officers attempted to stop an individual for lighting fireworks and pointing the fireworks at apartment windows on East 3rd Street. The individual fled officers and a 27-year-old male suspect actively prevented officers from pursing the individual by stepping in the officers’ path as well as physically pushing an officer. When the officer attempted to place the suspect under arrest, he actively resisted by pushing, shoving, wrestling, flailing his arms and punching the officer to prevent being placed under arrest.
Newsome said they transported Davis to the 61st Precinct and kept him locked up for 24 hours, and he believes racial profiling is at the root of it all.
“This whole thing was over fireworks, but when the family got to the precinct to find out what was going on, there were white people across the street from the precinct shooting off fireworks,” he said.
