‘Look at his knee!’ Arrest in Queens prompts DA, NYPD probes

In an incident caught on cellphone video, it appears that an officer has his knee on the neck of SirCarlyle Arnold, a 34-year-old Long Island man participating in a “ride-out” in the memory of a friend who passed away.

News 12 Staff

Jan 10, 2021, 3:16 AM

Updated 1,368 days ago

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Several NYPD officers are being accused of police brutality in connection to an arrest in Queens on Jan. 2.
In an incident caught on cellphone video, it appears that an officer has his knee on the neck of SirCarlyle Arnold, a 34-year-old Long Island man participating in a “ride-out” in the memory of a friend who passed away.
He was riding on an ATV at the time. He was charged with reckless endangerment among several other traffic violations.
During his arrest, a person recording the incident repeatedly said, “Look at his knee!” referring to the arresting officer.
Arnold's lawyer Olayemi Olurin says a police car tapped his ATV to get him to stop. Arnold says the cops engaged him once he got off. His lawyer posted a 19-second video of part of the arrest to Twitter.
"It shows that they have been allowed to do these kinds of things with impunity,” she said.
New York City lawmakers made it a misdemeanor for police officers to kneel on someone's neck following the death of George Floyd.
The Legal Aid Society is calling for the arresting officers to be fired and charged.
The Queens District Attorney's Office told News 12 in part, "Our public corruption bureau is in the process of reviewing all evidence in this case, including the officers' body worn camera videos."
The NYPD says the incident is under internal review.
Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted that he is disturbed and demands answers from the NYPD.
Arnold says the officer who knelt on his neck should not be above the law.
"I feel he should be held accountable for his actions. Just like everyone else should in this world, just like I did that day,” he said.
Arnold's lawyer says her client was also unarmed during the incident and has suffered neck pain and injuries to his knees.