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A police officer has been suspended after being accused of using a chokehold common in mixed-martial arts to take down a Black man who was unarmed, as depicted in video footage that surfaced Sunday on social media.
According to a police source, the arrest took place 8:45 a.m. on June 21 on the Rockaway Boardwalk at Beach 131st Street, and a man can be seen on video being held to the ground before being hoisted up and led to a squad car.
An NYPD source said officers passing by were flagged down because a suspect was allegedly throwing objects at people and businesses on the boardwalk.
When officers engaged with the man, law enforcement sources said, he allegedly began throwing garbage at them and was placed under arrest.
“We are aware of the video and there is an active investigation underway by the Internal Affairs Bureau. This matter is taken extremely seriously and we expect to have an update this evening as the investigation unfolds,” the NYPD said in a statement.
Police released body camera footage of the incident around 6:30 p.m. Sunday night.