Video of police wrenching baby from mother’s arms sparks outrage

A video showing police officers forcibly removing a woman’s infant son from her arms during an arrest in New York City has caused outrage online.

The footage was posted on Facebook by a witness and shows the mother, identified as 23-year-old Jazmine Headley, lying on the floor surrounded by several New York Police Department (NYPD) officers following a row at a food benefits office in Brooklyn.

Headley can be heard shouting “you’re hurting my son” as the police struggle to wrench him away. At one point, an officer pulls out a yellow stun gun and points it at people in the angry crowd. Eventually, Headley is dragged to her feet and led away in handcuffs.

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According to The Guardian, she had initially sat on the floor because there were no seats available in the waiting room. A security guard then reportedly told her to stand, before calling the police when she refused.

The footage of the incident, on Friday, was posted by witness Monae Sinclair, who wrote: “She had her baby in her hands the whole time. I’m a mother myself & I would’ve lost my f***ing mind if this was me they would’ve had to kill me.”

New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson wrote on Twitter that it was “hard to watch this video”, and called the officers’ behaviour “unacceptable, appalling and heartbreaking”.

State Attorney General-elect Letitia James also issued a statement condemning the officers for their “appalling and contemptible” actions.

“No mother should have to experience the trauma and humiliation we all witnessed in this video,” she said. “Being poor is not a crime.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio promised that the NYPD and the city’s Human Resources Administration (HRA) would be investigating the “disturbing incident”.

Headley remains in custody on Rikers Island, charged with criminal trespassing, resisting arrest, acting in a manner injurious to a child, and obstruction of governmental administration. She refused medical treatment for both herself and her son, who is now in the care of a family member, CBS News reports.

At a news conference on Monday, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams called for the charges against Headley to be dropped.