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Video shows police officers trying to wrestle 1-year-old from mom's arms


New Yorkers called for the police department to investigate an “appalling” incident after a video of a Brooklyn mother’s altercation with officers was posted to Facebook on Friday. Several officers are seen trying to forcefully pull a 1-year-old child from his mother’s arms while she’s on the floor of a social services center.

A bystander who posted the video wrote on Facebook that a security guard went over to the woman, identified by local television station NBC New York as 23-year-old Jazmine Headley, because she was sitting on the floor due to a lack of chairs. According to the Facebook post, Headley “made the security guard feel dumb so she called the cops on her.”

When the police officers arrived, Headley was reportedly asked to leave. When she refused, officers surrounded her, and the video shows one trying to take the toddler from her grasp. Headley wouldn’t let go of her son and was subsequently dragged across the floor while struggling with the police.

“There’s a f***ing baby in her hands!” someone in the video yells.

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson tweeted that he’d like to know how the NYPD “justifies” the behavior.

Letitia James, New York City public advocate and the state’s attorney general-elect, similarly described the video as “appalling” and called for an investigation.

Calling it a “troubling” incident,” the NYPD said it has launched an investigation, according to the New York Post. The department said the Human Resources Administration office claimed Headley was “disorderly” and blocking a hallway, adding that she refused to leave when officers arrived.

Headley was reportedly charged with resisting arrest, acting in a manner injurious to a child, obstructing governmental administration and criminal trespassing. There’s also reportedly a warrant out for her in New Jersey, but the details weren’t known. However, local affiliate ABC 7 reports that Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams plans to call for Friday’s charges to be dropped on Monday.

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