Four NYC Cops Stripped of Their Badges After Bloody Fight With Suspect

Four NYPD cops have been stripped of their guns and badges and pulled from the streets after a civilian video popped up on the internet showing them getting rough with a drug suspect, according to the New York Times.

The Bronx District Attorney’s office and the Internal Affairs bureau of the NYPD told the Times the incident was under investigation.

The beating of the suspect, Jateik Reed, 19, occurred last Thursday afternoon after police claim Reed threw a baggy of crack on the ground and resisted arrest. Mr. Reed was charged with assaulting a police officer, drug possession, menacing and harassment.

The clip cuts in as the police have already begun to escalate their usage of force, making it difficult to establish the context of their actions. The Times noted, however, that court papers described the moment before the incident as follows:

"When another officer... approached Mr. Reed, he flailed his arms, refusing to be handcuffed, punched [an] Officer... in the nose, opening a wound that required stitches, and head-butted him in the cheek."

The officers can be heard to yell repeatedly "put your hands behind your back" and "stop resisting." The suspect appeared to be kicking out a leg as officers took him to the ground.

A police officer then turned and pointed a bottle of pepper spray at the civilian wielding the camera phone and yelled "get back."

Watch the video from World Star Hip Hop to see the officers' conduct for yourself:

(H/T: Gawker)