After a video of a Schenectady police officer kneeling on the head of a Guyanese man went viral, a review is currently underway while policing reforms, including a ban on the use of a knee to a person’s head or neck as a control hold, have been announced.
In a statement released on Tuesday on the Schenectady Police Department’s Facebook page, Chief of Police Eric S. Clifford said the body camera worn by the officer involved was reviewed, as well as the partial video shared on social media. He said contact was made to the Schenectady County District Attorney to seek assistance with assessing the video footage and to determine if they were any violations of New York State Penal Law or executive orders.
Clifford noted that limited information can be substantiated “and it would be premature to draw conclusions until the entire incident and all evidence can be reviewed.”