The nearly eight-minute video shows two officers from the Brooklyn North anti-drug unit, one in plainclothes, arresting a Black man at a liquor store in New York City on 14/4. The officers repeatedly punched and kicked the suspect to subdue him, breaking many items in the display area.

The two officers dragged the suspect over broken glass to the front of the store, then flipped him onto his stomach to handcuff him. The floor was covered in blood. The officer wearing an NYPD shirt continued to kick and step on the man's leg, while the plainclothes officer yelled, "Roll over!"

"You are unreasonably violating the First Amendment," protested Abelee Moran, the woman recording the video.

"He resisted arrest," an officer replied while subduing the suspect. The two officers then escorted the man out of the store.

The video was later shared on social media, sparking widespread controversy.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani wrote on social media on 15/4: "The violent actions used by NYPD officers in the video are deeply concerning and unacceptable. Police should never treat citizens this way. The NYPD is conducting a full investigation into the incident."

The NYPD stated that the two officers were engaged in an undercover operation investigating drug dealing in the Cobble Hill area, directly across from the liquor store. One officer had "purchased drugs" and arrested a suspect. They then identified the man in the liquor store as "matching the description of the recently arrested person's accomplice."

NYPD Chief Jessica Tisch (center) and Mayor Zohran Mamdani (right) at a meeting at New York police headquarters on 2/4. *Reuters*

However, investigators determined that the man who was beaten, Timothy L. Brown, had no connection to drug dealing activities, according to the NYPD. Brown was still charged with resisting arrest and received a summons to appear in court.

"Thank God I'm still alive. That's all I can say. Everything happens for a reason. I want justice," Brown told CBS News New York.

NYPD Chief Jessica Tisch announced on 15/4 that the two officers had their guns and badges revoked and were reassigned to desk duty. The police internal affairs division is handling the matter. She added, "We will provide updates as more information becomes available."