Cop Who Pulled Gun On Protesters Should Lose Badge, Mayor Says

UNION SQUARE, MANHATTAN — A cop who pulled a gun on a crowd near Union Square on Sunday is among several NYPD officers who are under investigation for their behavior during protests against police brutality over the weekend.

Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed Monday that an officer seen pointing his gun at protesters as he runs toward a crowd in front of Strand Bookstore on East 12th Street and Broadway will be the subject of an "immediate full investigation."

"We have to always know it is not the place of an officer to a pull a gun in the middle of a crowd knowing that there are peaceful protesters in that crowd," de Blasio said. "...That officer should have his gun and badge taken away today."

The video, shared by Gothamist reporter Jake Offenhartz, was taken around 10 p.m. Sunday by a source at the protest, Offenhartz said.

Those gathering near Union Square were among thousands of New Yorkers who protested police brutality the last few days since killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The Broadway corner is also where de Blasio's daughter, Chiara de Blasio, was arrested as she blocked traffic with other protesters.

Offenhartz confirmed on Twitter on Monday that he got a call about the video from the NYPD's Internal Affairs bureau. New York Attorney General Letitia James also asked that Offenhartz send her the video.

James is putting together a report about the conduct about NYPD officers during the protest, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday.

The officer in the Union Square video, who was moved away from the crowd by a superior officer, was one of several under internal investigation. De Blasio specifically referred to videos of officers driving through a crowd of protesters, a cop who pushed a woman to the ground and an officer who opened a car door and hit a protester.

"All of these matters are under review right now," de Blasio said. "They need to be speedy reviews. Discipline must be meted out in any case where it is merited."