Video surfaces of Staten Island bus stop melee that led to the suspension of NYPD officer

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Video has surfaced of the NYPD response to a wild melee involving girls at a bus stop in Port Richmond in an incident that has led to the suspension of one officer and calls from numerous city officials for an investigation.

The footage, which is circulating on both Instagram and Twitter, shows the chaotic scene that unfolded on Tuesday around 2:50 p.m. in the 121st Precinct near a bus stop where Port Richmond Avenue, Forest Avenue and Willowbrook Road meet at the Egbert Triangle green space.

As reviewed by the Advance/SILive.com, the video appears to show at least three officers surrounded by a group of agitated children across the street from a pawn shop and check-cashing business.

In the footage, an officer appears to punch one of the children multiple times.

“He’s hitting her,” one child screams, while another youngster loudly says, “Don’t do that.”

Some of the children appear to be trying to shield and pull the child away from the officer while other youngsters seem to be joining in the fray.

At least two additional cops seem to be trying to separate the officer and the child while attempting to control the crowd.

The video is shot at a distance with the officers’ sides and backs mostly to the camera.

Lasting several seconds, the footage doesn’t show what happened before or after the incident escalated into a physical confrontation.

MAYOR ADAMS ADDRESSES CONFRONTATION

Mayor Eric Adams defended the NYPD while simultaneously voicing his displeasure with the footage.

“I was not happy with what I saw in the video,” the mayor said, adding that he spoke with Commissioner Keechant Sewell and Schools Chancellor David Banks.

The mayor stressed that the skirmish, which happened around dismissal time, did not take place on school property.

“A young girl was being jumped by two other children and the police intervened — it was NYPD not School Safety agents,” the mayor clarified.

A source with knowledge of the investigation said that one of the children threw the first punch after police were trying to aid a child who was being attacked on the street.

“The people of this city trust their police,” Adams said. “They’re happy to see their police.”

The mayor added, “We should be proud having a police department with the level of restraint that they show.”

STATEN ISLAND POLITICIAN EXPRESSES CONCERNS

“Yesterday, an incident occurred at the dismissal of I.S. 51 middle school, where a student was seen involved in an altercation with an NYPD officer,” said a statement from Councilwoman Kamilla Hanks (D-North Shore) first posted on social media.

“I would like to thank the concerned community member who sent me the video of this incident. I immediately contacted the NYPD to request an investigation. I am encouraged by the NYPD’s swift and appropriate response to this matter. Let me be clear — violence against our children is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. I appreciate the community’s patience while the NYPD conducts its investigation.”