A Boston police sergeant was overwhelmed amid an investigation into the conduct of law enforcement during protests against racial injustice and the death of George Floyd.
The step comes later The Appeal posted images of officers ’conduct during the protests over the summer.
According to reports, the images show agents threatening protesters and using excessive force, NBC News reports reported.
Boston Police Commissioner William Gross he said in a statement on Friday he ordered the Office of Professional Standards to conduct a “thorough and fair investigation into this matter and all of the circumstances involved.”
“I have put a sergeant involved in this incident on administrative leave and will take any additional action that may be necessary at the end of the investigation,” Gross said. “I want to encourage people to call attention to these issues so that we can investigate them properly.”
Gross did not identify the sergeant who was in surplus.
The Appeal, “a non-partisan, mission-driven media organization” covering economics, politics, and politics, released camera footage of the May 31 protests. on June 1 obtained from a lawyer representing some of the protesters.
According to reports, the videos showed officers allegedly targeting nonviolent protesters for possible arrests, discussing the use of cars as weapons and the use of chemical agents.
In a statement shared with The Hill, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh (D) said, “This material is hard to see and asks for answers to many questions that I hope will be answered through a Business investigation. Interns “.
“We never want the police to use more force than necessary, even when tensions are high,” he added.
Meanwhile, Boston Police Patrol Association president Lawrence Calderone accused the lawyer of “putting together several context-deficient video snippets.”
“Apart from the effort and insult that alter reality, the fact, the violence and hatred perpetrated against our officers and our city that night will always be etched in the minds and memories of our officers remain. and their families because of the damage caused by the police – highlighting anarchists and agitators who took part in a peaceful protest armed with violence and seeking a fight, ”Calderone said in a statement on Twitter.
BPPA publishes a statement regarding misleading media accounts that falsely accuse #BPD Police misconduct on May 31, 2020. pic.twitter.com/fUlhgxj9j3
– Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association (BPPA) (@BostonPatrolmen) December 19, 2020
The images come as the last few days examine police conduct in protest of police brutality during the summer.
The New York City Police Department released a document 111-page report on Friday, finding that local authorities used excessive force during the protests that took place in the city.
National protests erupted in late May this year after images of spectators captured in Minneapolis showed former firm Derek Chauvin with his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes during his arrest. Eventually, Floyd did not respond and later declared himself dead.