NYPD investigating after video appears to show officer using chokehold on man in Queens

NEW YORK - The NYPD says that it is investigating after a video appeared on social media showing police apparently using a chokehold on a man that was taken into custody in Queens on Sunday morning.

WARNING: The video below contains offensive and homophobic language.

Police say they received a call for a man acting disorderly at around 8:45 a.m. at 113th Street and Ocean Promenade near the boardwalk in Far Rockaway. Authorities say that when officers arrived, they encountered a 35-year-old man acting erratically, being combative and aggressive, and resisting arrest when police tried to take him into custody. Officers were eventually able to detain him, and the man is still in custody with charges pending.

However, video of the arrest seen on social media has sparked an outcry, as it shows a man on the ground being held down by four officers, with one applying an apparent chokehold on the suspect.

The NYPD released body camera footage of the incident:

In a later statement, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said that the officer seen applying the apparent chokehold in the video has been suspended without pay.

"Accountability in policing is essential. After a swift investigation by the Internal Affairs Bureau, a police officer involved in a disturbing apparent chokehold incident in Queens has been suspended without pay. While a full investigation is still underway, there is no question in my mind that this immediate action is necessary. We are committed to transparency as this process continues," Shea said.