Crown Heights Man Blinded By NYPD Taser Blast: Report

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — A Crown Heights man lost sight in his left eye after NYPD officers blasted a Taser at his face, according to a report.

Kenneth Bacote, 53, claims cops assaulted him June 2 outside Kingsborough Houses, where he was looking for his son, the New York Post first reported.

They arrested him on suspicion of obstructing governmental administration, among other minor charges, court records state.

A medical report obtained by the Post details Bacote's arrest.

"He states he got tased in the left eye. He states he was then grabbed and pushed and handcuffed," the report states, according to the Post. "He was taken to Kings County Hospital where he states he had a surgical procedure to remove the taser prongs. He states he still has some stitches."

Bacote lost sight in his left eye, the Post reported.

The incident unfolded the same day that NYPD officers shot and killed a manin an armed standoff at Kingsborough Houses. It also occurred as the city was under a much-criticized 8 p.m. curfew.

The Rev. Kevin McCall — a local civil rights leader who is close to the family of George Floyd — called for the firing of officers involved in Bacote's arrest, a criminal probe against them and the dismissal of charges against Bacote, according to the Post.

NYPD's internal affairs is investigating the incident, the Post also reported.

Read the full New York Post story here.