Syracuse, N.Y. - Syracuse Officials are beginning to take sides after an arrest video went viral over the weekend.
Syracuse Common Council President Hellen Hudson called the arrest of 23-year-old Shaolin Moore last Friday for playing loud music in his vehicle "very disturbing".
The incident shows officers forcing Moore out of his car and wrestling him to the ground. Hudson says she wants to know why officers were angry and "how does a simple loud music stop lead to such a disastrous outcome?"
The head of the Police Union says he is "very disappointed that Council President Hudson would not wait for the police department’s investigation to conclude before jumping to her own conclusion."
FULL STATEMENT FROM COUNCIL PRESIDENT HUDSON:
This past weekend a video was brought to my attention of 2 young black men being pulled over by the Syracuse Police department. In the video you could see the young man being drag out of the car by his neck, as the officer is swearing at him and in the same video you can see another officer go to the passenger side and proceed to stop him from recording him.
This video is very disturbing to me and no one should be treated in such a manner by the people that are sworn to protect and serve. The force that was used in this stop in my opinion was excessive and will not continue to be tolerated.
I have two questions:
Why was the officer so angry?
How does a simple loud music stop lead to such a disastrous outcome?
Understand that the Syracuse Police have a tremendously hard job but it is a job that require professionalism and integrity.
There is a term known as innocent until proven guilty.
FULL STATEMENT FROM SYRACUSE POLICE BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT JEFFERY PIEDMONT:
I am very disappointed that Council President Hudson would not wait for the police department’s investigation to conclude before jumping to her own conclusion. One of the problems in society today with social media is people see a short video and assume to know all the facts when they do not. This case is being vigorously investigated by the department and the involved officers have been totally cooperative with IAD. While I will not get into details of the investigation at this time I am confident in the end the use of force will be deemed to be justified as well as the treatment of the passenger in the vehicle.
PhotoCred: Facebook.com/Helen4CommonCouncilPresident