Mom of bystander punched by cop in viral arrest says son is hospitalized
Donna Wright risks being infected by the coronavirus to be by her son's side after police altercation finds him in the hospital
Donna Wright plans to travel from North Carolina to check on her son, who is allegedly hospitalized after sustaining injuries from NYPD over the weekend.
Donni Wright’s concerned mother says that she plans to travel from North Carolina to check on her son, who can barely lift himself or sit. Her son was reportedly hospitalized after sustaining injuries from NYPD over the weekend during a violent altercation captured on video.
Donna Wright, 59, is struggling to mentally connect the dots as to why her son was roughed up by the New York City’s finest. She will not stay in The South waiting to be told the details of his injuries or what the city will uncover in their investigation of the brutal confrontation that has now gone viral.
READ MORE: Video of NYPD violent arrest over social distancing sparks outrage
According to the New York Daily News, Wright first received the video, she immediately knew it was her child:
“My whole body got chills … I literally fell, because I right away recognized my son.”
She further states, “It was just horrific. It was just a chilling feeling to see someone just take pure advantage, someone, that is supposed to be securing and protecting us.”
“I’m not one to bash cops,” she added. “I don’t even like to hear people say it because I always feel like they’re doing a job. But at that point, I said ‘My God, my God.’ It was just an awful feeling to see that. I know it happens to people but to know that it happened to my child…”
Details are starting to emerge to place the incident, that ended with a police officer punching her son in the face, in context.
Donni, 32, an NYCHA worker in the East Village of New York City, was on his way to store when he saw two of the family friends, Shakiem Brunson and Ashley Serrano being arrested. Allegedly the Brunson refused to disperse from where he was after police did a sweep and had a bag of weed. Donni said something to the police about the arrest and was reported to have “taken a fighter’s stance.” After being told not to “flex,” the police forcibly subdued him. A bystander recorded the incident.
Donni Wright has been charged with assault on a police officer, menacing and resisting arrest. However, according to the Daily News, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office will be “holding off on moving forward with the case against [he] and the two suspects initially arrested.”
Police arrest of Donni Wright on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. (Photo via Twitter/@JBlascoNYC)
“Our office is deferring prosecution on these cases pending further investigation,” a spokeswoman said Monday.
The city can afford to hold off, but not Mama Wright. Despite the dangers of traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic, she is traveling to be by her son’s side.
While Wright has hired a lawyer, Sanford Rubenstein, to represent him and has already contacted the Manhattan DA Cy Vance to open a criminal investigation into the officer’s actions, he will most certainly need the emotional support of his mother.
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Rubenstein has said that the officer, Francisco Garcia, was out of order with his “unprovoked” takedown of his client. He also said that there was “no justification” for the assault, the Daily News reports.
He and Ms. Wright are not alone. Mayor Bill de Blasio took a break from his coronavirus updating duties to respond also: “The video was very troubling … What I saw was absolutely unacceptable and obviously discipline was swift by the NYPD.”
Garcia has been stripped of his gun and shield and placed on modified duty.
