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At Five Seconds Into the Video, an NYC Protester Is Caught Sucker Punching an NYPD Officer — Watch the Cop's Reaction

At Five Seconds Into the Video, an NYC Protester Is Caught Sucker Punching an NYPD Officer — Watch the Cop's Reaction

"How many more officers can get punched there like that?"

A New York City police officer seemed relatively unfazed right after he was sucker punched during a protest last week.

Protestors march against a grand jury's decision not to indict the police officer involved in the death of Eric Garner, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2014, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Protestors march against a grand jury's decision not to indict the police officer involved in the death of Eric Garner, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2014, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Seconds after the protester threw the punch the officer reacted by pushing the protester back with a baton. But the officer didn't respond violently or arrest the man. Instead, he continued to stand guard to monitor for any major outbreaks of violence.

The incident was caught on video and uploaded to YouTube but has since been set to "private." CNN aired the confrontation on "Out Front" with host Erin Burnett who asked retired New York Police Department detective Harry Houck, "What's the right response for a police officer to do now, especially in this environment?"

"You've got to make an arrest. That officer was just assaulted. You can't let that stuff go on," Houck said. "How many more officers can get punched there like that? Police officers don't get paid to get punched, killed or hurt. They want to go home just like anyone else. That man who threw a punch at that officer should have been taken down and arrested."

"Do you think the officer didn't do that because he was afraid, because of the public atmosphere right now?" Burnett asked CNN legal analyst Mark O'Mara.

First addressing the concerns surrounding the cases of Michael Brown in Ferguson and Eric Garner in New York, O'Mara then concluded, "If you hit a cop that is a very serious offense. Arrest him and he gets a harsh sentence because we have to respect the authority we give to our officers when we tell them to enforce our laws on the street.

Police arrested 22-year-old Yotameli Sayer as the suspect about an hour and a half later when he allegedly assaulted another police office.

Demonstrators in New York City have taken to the streets several nights since grand jury decisions were announced in which Ferguson, Missouri and New York City police officers were not indicted on any charges for the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner.

You can watch more of the confrontation here:

(H/T: CNN)

Follow Jon Street (@JonStreet) on Twitter

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