This footage has left viewers shocked.
Police brutality towards trans people has been long documented.
Laws against “cross-dressing" specifically targeted trans people.
Its common knowledge that police would specifically target and raid gay bars.
But the mistreatment of trans people by law enforcement still continues today.
But, over the recent months...
Imara Jones, an independent journalist and founder of TransLash media explained this further in a recent interview:
She continued:
The need for these demonstrations is not going away.
Shocking footage has emerged on social media this week.
The incident was captured on several short clips...
The video shows the officers wearing no uniforms, despite there being other officers in the area uniformed.
Witnesses said no words were exchanged at the time.
The witness went on to say he saw the van while he was on his bike taking pictures.
He continued:
He explained he biked for several blocks following the van after it sped off.
He couldn't keep up with them...
The person arrested has been identified as eighteen-year-old Nikki Stone.
An NYPD spokesperson went on to say that the arrest was by the department's Warrant Squad.
In regard to a video on social media that took place at 2 Ave & 25 St, a woman taken into custody in an unmarked va… https://t.co/pBtIpC73JT— NYPD NEWS (@NYPD NEWS)1595982639.0
The department also claim they were being attacked by protestors at the time.
When officers from the Warrant Squad took the woman into custody in a gray NYPD minivan this evening, they were ass… https://t.co/QmR53uTjRr— NYPD NEWS (@NYPD NEWS)1595984188.0
They also tried to explain why an unmarked vehicle was used.
When she was placed into the Warrant Squad's unmarked gray minivan, it was behind a cordon of NYPD bicycle cops in… https://t.co/a4fCD3s9eT— NYPD NEWS (@NYPD NEWS)1595985067.0
However, in the several short videos posted to social media, no rocks or bottles can be seen being thrown at the officers.
@Astrographer_WP @murray_nyc @NYPDnews People accused of horrendous crimes are generally treated better than this.… https://t.co/a1abt2J5lw— SRM (@SRM)1596002222.0
Several people spoke about how excessive force is often used on people in the trans community.
@NYPDnews The way she was arrested it looked like she was America's most wanted criminal. That's EXACTLY what so ma… https://t.co/Sw5hp2aNC7— MURRAY🧢🇺🇸 (@MURRAY🧢🇺🇸)1595996801.0
People also raised this point.
@NYPDnews There is absolutely no justification for this excessive use of force. You’re snatching people off of the… https://t.co/LO2v7T694O— Shannon (@Shannon)1595983103.0
Early Wednesday morning, however, there was an update.
NYC is taking after Portland - a trans femme protestor was pulled into an unmarked van at the Abolition Park protes… https://t.co/g2VZOGAnsM— michelle lh࿊࿊q (@michelle lh࿊࿊q)1595978515.0