Bronx man claims police brutality, beating caught on video

theGRIO REPORT - “They were taking turns on me like a gang," that’s how Santiago Hernandez, 23, described his brutal beating at the hands of the NYPD last month.

A Bronx man claims multiple NYPD officers beat him without cause when he was stopped and frisked in August, and the whole incident was caught on surveillance and cell phone video.

“They were taking turns on me like a gang.” That’s how Santiago Hernandez, 23, described the alleged assault.

In the August 18 footage obtained by ABC 7 News, Hernandez is seen being approached and then subsequently handcuffed by two female officers. Within moments half a dozen more uniformed officers arrive to the scene and allegedly take turns beating.

Hernandez later told Eyewitness News reporter N.J. Burkett:

I’m like, Miss what you doing? You are hurting my arm. She just was telling me to put my hands behind my back, I’m like, ‘I’m trying to understand what you’re arresting me for. Can you please tell me?

They was taking turns on me. One kicks me, he steps back. Another one comes, he punch me and he steps back. And another one comes and grabs my arm and hits me like 10 times with the baton. Another one comes, pepper-sprayed me.

Hernandez, who is out on parole after serving six years in prison for a gang assault when he was 14, says he was confused by the excessive force and attempted to get some clarity.

Because I’m a person to ask questions. If I didn’t do nothing wrong, I’m trying to understand the reason, what they are thinking of me, or what was the reason at all to arrest me.

Officers claim they were frisking the suspect for marijuana. However, Hernandez’s attorney Jay Heinrich told ABC those charges were later dropped, and he plans to file a civilian complaint on behalf of his client.

“Unfortunately, for young men like Santiago, I think this incident is all too common,” said Heinrich.

After recent high-profile allegations of brutality against the New York police, it is no surprise that NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau is now investigating the incident.

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