Loved ones call for charges to be dropped for teen thrown to the ground by officers

Loved ones are calling for charges to be dropped for Fitzroy Gayle, a teen seen on video being arrested and thrown to the ground by police last week in Canarsie.

News 12 Staff

Mar 11, 2020, 10:13 PM

Updated 1,513 days ago

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Loved ones are calling for charges to be dropped for Fitzroy Gayle, a teen seen on video being arrested and thrown to the ground by police last week in Canarsie.
They are also asking for the officers involved in the incident to be held accountable. Police say Gayle and another man were smoking a lit marijuana cigarette in a park and fled the scene when approached by police.
"We look for criminal charges to be placed against these police officers for what they did to him," said attorney Sanford Rubenstein.
The video appears to show Gayle asking an officer what crime he committed and then a group of officers take him to the ground. Police say Gayle was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, resisting arrest and unlawful obstruction of governmental administration.
Gayle and his representatives asked the DA to drop the charges when they met.
"I know that justice will be served, my son deserves to get back his rights," said Gayle's mother Daphne Gayle.
They also met with Chief Patrick O'Connor of Law Enforcement and Accountability who they say will be doing a full investigation of the officers in the incident.
Police say there is no current change in the duty status of the officers involved.
Rubenstein says the DA will complete Gayle's investigation of the case by March 24, which is the date scheduled for his appearance in court. 
The Rev. Kevin McCall said they'll be meeting with the governor's office on Friday at 11 a.m. to ask him to sign an executive order that says you can't be charged for having low levels of marijuana.


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