Family says Bronx teen stun-gunned, assaulted by cop
NEW YORK - The family of a boy in the Bronx is demanding answers from police about the injuries sustained by their child during an arrest.
Daisy Acevedo, the mother of Jahmel Leach, 16, is holding a news conference outside the Bronx District Attorney's Office Thursday to draw attention to the incident which occurred during protests over the death of George Floyd.
According to Acevedo, the 16-year-old was watching looters along Fordham Road last week when he was shocked with a stun gun and struck several times, including on the head, by an NYPD officer. The boy suffered bruises and broken teeth. A photo from the hospital shows a gash on the right side of his face and swelling around his mouth.
Acevedo says she learned about her son's arrest and injuries from a doctor at St. Barnabas Hospital and not from police. She also alleges the teen was placed in a cell with adults before he was hospitalized.
A relative of the teen shared photos of the boy on Twitter and wrote that the arresting officer told Leach's mother that he thought the boy was an adult because of his height.
The NYPD has launched an investigation into the incident, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio who tweeted about the arrest Wednesday night.
"I've spoken to Jahmel's family and I'm really troubled by what they told me. We're going to get them answers. The NYPD has launched an investigation into what happened," be Blasio tweeted.
Leach was reportedly in the process of lighting a pile of garbage on fire when he was arrested.
The news conference is scheduled for Thursday at 3:30 p.m.