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Charges against Derrick Ingram, a Black Lives Matter demonstrator, were reduced from felony assault in the second degree to misdemeanor assault.
The protester was accused of injuring a New York City police officer by shouting directly into her ear with a battery-powered bullhorn.
READ MORE: Black Lives Matter protesters beaten by pro-police group at ‘Blue’ rally
Ingram live-streamed officers who arrived at his apartment on Friday to arrest him. Officers were dressed in tactical gear and brought police dogs, deployed sniper rifles, and a police helicopter.
They did not have a warrant.
Ingram refused to open his door, and after a six-hour standoff, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea ordered them to leave.
Manhattan district attorney, Cy Vance, and New York mayor, Bill de Blasio both condemned the “extraordinary tactics” used to attempt Ingram’s arrest.
Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
“These actions were disproportionate to the alleged offense that occurred two months ago, and unjustifiably escalated conflict between law enforcement and the communities we serve,” Vance wrote according to The New York Post.
“Assaulting an officer is unacceptable and will always lead to consequences, but arrests must be made properly,” said de Blasio.
The incident for which Ingram was charged occurred on June 14 near where he lives in Hell’s Kitchen. However, he was not identified until after he allegedly shouted in another officer’s ear at a protest in Brooklyn. No charges resulted from the Brooklyn incident.
New York police officers and the Police Benevolent Association blasted the DA’s office for lowering the charges. “Police officers want to know: what are we still doing out here?” PBA president Pat Lynch said in a statement, “Why are our leaders sending us out to enforce laws they don’t believe in?”
READ MORE: Milwaukee police chief demoted over use of tear gas at BLM protests
Ingram addressed a crowd of supporters on Saturday morning saying that he is “highly traumatized.”
He said that he is “thankful for all the love and support and kind words” that he has received. He said that organizers should focus on “getting Commissioner Shea out of office.”
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