Video of police breaking up a fight between two teenage boys at Bridgewater Commons mall is sparking outrage. But it’s not the fight that has caused the video to go viral; it’s how police responded to the situation, which has now prompted an internal affairs investigation. The altercation, seen here on Instagram, shows the teens, one white and one Black, arguing before they start pushing and punching each other. When police arrive, officers are seen pinning the Black teenager to the ground and handcuffing him, while the white teen was allowed to sit on a couch. The female officer is also seen putting her knee on the Black teen’s back, despite no sign that he was resisting.
Gov. Phil Murphy reacted to the video, tweeting that he was “deeply disturbed by what appears to be racially disparate treatment in this video.” In response to the fight, the mall’s senior manager said both boys are now banned from the property for the next three years. The Bridgewater Police have asked the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office to assist in the investigation.
