NEW YORK (PIX11) \u2014 A man was beaten by police in a case of mistaken identity inside a Brooklyn liquor store, leading to an internal investigation by the NYPD.<\/p>\n
Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the actions of the officers \u201cextremely disturbing and unacceptable\u201d in a social media post<\/a> on Wednesday.<\/p>\n The man was punched and had his head slammed into the counter window of the liquor store as two cops \u2014 one dressed in an NYPD-issued vest and badge and the other in plain clothes \u2014held his arms back, the video shows<\/a>.<\/p>\n The plain-clothes cop kneed the man in the midsection multiple times before he slammed into a shelf of glass bottles, which shattered, causing the man to bleed, the video shows.<\/p>\n Both cops then dragged the man through the broken glass to the front of the store and turned him over onto his stomach, the video shows.<\/p>\n More Local News <\/a><\/p>\n The officer in the NYPD vest continued to kick and pressed his foot onto the back of the man\u2019s leg as the other shouted: \u201cRoll over!\u201d<\/p>\n The woman who recorded the video, Abelee Moran, began shouting at both officers, saying, \u201cY\u2019all violating the First Amendment for no reason.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the officers responded, \u201cYou can\u2019t resist arrest,\u201d while he was draped over the man.<\/p>\n The man screamed out in pain, \u201cMy leg!\u201d<\/p>\n Stay connected with community stories that matter: Visit our homepage <\/a><\/p>\n After several more minutes of getting handcuffs on the man and arguing with onlookers, police escorted him out of the store.<\/p>\n NYPD: The man \u2018matched the description\u2019<\/p>\n Officials said the officers were undercover to investigate complaints of drug sales in the Cobble Hill neighborhood, right across the street from the liquor store.<\/p>\n One of the cops \u201csuccessfully purchased crack cocaine\u201d on the street and arrested the suspect, according to the NYPD. Then the officers saw a man \u201cwho matched the description\u201d of the dealer\u2019s associate: \u201cwearing a white shirt and green shorts,\u201d an NYPD spokesperson said.<\/p>\n Following the violent arrest, investigators found that the man had no connection to the drug sale or the dealer, according to the NYPD. He was charged with resisting arrest and received an appearance ticket.<\/p>\n Discover more local reporting on our homepage <\/a><\/p>\n NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said both officers were placed on modified duty and had their guns and shields removed.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I have seen the video. I have been briefed on it, and this matter is under internal review by our Internal Affairs Bureau. And we\u2019ll have more to say about it as that investigation unfolds, but I understand the community interest in it because it is an upsetting video,\u201d Tisch said at an unrelated press conference on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Witness speaks out: \u2018I was scared\u2019<\/p>\n On Wednesday, Moran spoke about her experience in the liquor store.<\/p>\n \u201cI was trying to put this on social media, anyone I can reach out to, you know?\u201d Moran said. \u201cWhat happened was not right, not fair.\u201d<\/p>\n She said she wished she\u2019d done more to help the man in the moment.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone around me is saying I\u2019m a hero, but I felt like I\u2019m so mad at myself that I didn\u2019t throw my body against him to protect this man,\u201d Moran said with a trembling voice.<\/p>\n \u201cI was scared that they would beat me the way that they beat him.\u201d<\/p>\n Spencer Gustafson is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered New York state and city news since 2023. See more of his work here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. <\/a><\/p>\n