Violent West Village Arrest Recounted In AG Protest Probe

WEST VILLAGE, MANHATTAN — A protester who was tackled and dragged across the ground by police in the West Village was among dozens of New Yorkers who testified at a hearing Wednesday for the state attorney general's investigation into police interactions at recent protests.

"It's been two weeks and I still have bruising and marks," Jeffrey Castillo told New York Attorney General Letitia James, pointing to scars, bruises and cuts on his knees, wrists and shoulder. "It just keeps replaying in my head."

Castillo, a 20-year-old dancer and model, said he was one of several protesters who were arrested during a seemingly unprovoked crackdown on a peaceful march down West 14th Street on June 3, the seventh day of police brutality protests spurred by George Floyd's death.

Castillo said he was riding a bike when an officer in a police cruiser drove up alongside him and tried to open his car door in his path.

He was able to maneuver away from the car door, but, a few blocks later, was again approached by police, one of whom he said pointed directly at him. This time, an officer "kicked him off" his bike before others joined in to pin him down, Castillo said.

"Six [officers] swarmed at me when I was trying to get myself up," Castillo said. "I was not resisting arrest at all."

The officers grabbed Castillo by his legs and dragged him across the pavement before cuffing him, pushing him against the wall of a police van and searching him. Friends who tried to pull the officers off him were also arrested, Castillo said.

"They said it was for 'disturbance of peace' but there was no disturbance at all other than the disturbance that they caused," Castillo said.

Unlike Castillo's story, which he said happened about 4:30 p.m., many protesters who testified Wednesday said the violence was part of the NYPD's crackdowns on protesters out after Mayor Bill de Blasio's 11 p.m., and then 8 p.m., curfew. Though some recounted similar instances of violence hours or days before the curfews.

Asked if there seemed to be any incident that provoked his arrest, Castillo said he could only assume he was targeted for his race or sexuality.

"I'm a proud, black, Latino gay man," Castillo said. "For using our voice and our First Amendment right, this is the consequence we get."

Like many protesters who testified Wednesday, Castillo said he and those arrested with him were not given medical attention or masks to protect against the coronavirus as they spent hours on a bus, and then in a cell, to be processed. He was eventually released at 8 or 9 p.m., Castillo said.

He was also one of many who said his encounter with police left him physically and emotionally scarred — prompting insomnia, a fear of cops and a hesitance to join protests again.

The hearing, which was joined by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and The Policing Project Director Barry Friedman, lasted for more than six hours and included similar stories from protests in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens.

James scheduled a second hearing Thursday to continue the testimony. Her office has heard from hundreds of New Yorkers, she said.

"This is way bigger than me," Castillo told the panel. "I am doing this for my next generation… I want the next generation to feel comfortable to speak up for themselves."