Teen Attacked In Bed-Stuy Fare Evasion Arrest Obeyed Cops: Pol

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — Video of a complicated fare evasion arrest in Bed-Stuy includes a police officer slamming a 19-year-old's head into a wall and telling her, "I'm going to pop you in the f---ing mouth," Council Member Chi Ossé testified during a heated argument over the NYPD's new quality-of-life crackdown.

"The violence begins when she goes [back] over the turnstile and the police officers continue to put their hands on her," Ossé told NYPD top brass in a City Council hearing Wednesday.

"When she does what they ask her to do, they continue to put their hands on her."

Ossé testified that body-camera footage shows police slamming 19-year-old Lorianna Sampayo's head into a wall after she followed their instructions and came back through the turnstile at Nostrand Avenue station. Police said Sampayo was caught entering the emergency exit door without paying the fare.

She was ultimately charged with assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest after she punched one of the cops in the face, bit another and kicked a third in the groin, which Kenneth Corey, NYPD Chief of Department, said explains police's response.

"Violence there begins when she punches the officer in the face," Corey told Ossé.

But Ossé argued the violence began when the teenaged woman found herself surrounded by police officers over her failure to pay a $2.75 fare.

The council member demanded the NYPD release its bodycam footage to the public.

Patch's request to see the body-camera footage received no reply from the NYPD.

Video of the Bed-Stuy arrest shows the woman surrounded by officers — one who says he's been bitten by the teen — and spurred social media debate about the NYPD's revival of "broken windows policing" and a crackdown in the city subway system.

Both policies took up a large portion of the City Council hearing on the mayor's Blueprint to End Gun Violence.

Ossé highlighted the arrest while quizzing NYPD officials about the revived anti-gun teams, which city officials have said are comprised only of officers deemed qualified after a "deep dive" into their records.

"What happens to officers who don’t get on [to the teams]? Ossé asked. "Do they fail that test and stay on the streets and continue to slam my constituents' heads into walls?"

NYPD officials told Ossé that body-camera footage is reviewed by the Use of Force board.

"Officers who have an issue with the way they interact with members of the community are retrained as necessary, they are disciplined when discipline is appropriate," Corey said.

Public Safety Deputy Mayor Philip Banks broke into a tense exchange between Ossé and Corey to reassure the council member only qualified officers were protecting his Brooklyn constituents.

"Don't judge us on an individual cop," Banks told Ossé. "I am telling you once we identify those particular officers ... swift and appropriate action will take place."

"It's not an individual cop," Ossé retorted. "This is a historic, systemic blueprint for how you’ve been running this agency for decades ... It happens year, after year, after year."