Bronx Police Beating: Video Shows NYPD Officer Punching Subdued Black Man

NEW YORK, NY — A disturbing video making the rounds on Instagram Friday, but recorded back in early May, shows a plainclothes New York City Police Department (NYPD) detective brutally beating a black man being pinned to the floor of a McDonald's in the Bronx by two other men, one of whom is also an NYPD detective. The detainee does not appear to be resisting arrest.

What the video doesn't show — according to a spokesman for the NYPD — is that the suspect, identified as 27-year-old Darnell Simmons, was fighting with the detectives for 7 minutes prior. Simmons broke one detective's nose so severely, the NYPD spokesman said, that it required plastic surgery.

"It's not an assault," the police spokesman said Friday afternoon, as the video racked up thousands more views. "We did not assault him."

The Instagram video is embedded below. (Warning: It contains profanity.)

“You only see 20 seconds of a 7-minute violent struggle," the spokesman said. However, the NYPD refused to provide footage of the rest of the fight — due to, the department said, ongoing court proceedings.

The NYPD Citizen's Complaint Review Board immediately reviewed the incident, a department spokesman said, and closed the case soon after. However, the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau is still investigating.

After he was arrested, Simmons was slapped with nine total charges by the Bronx District Attorney's Office —among them assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, harassment and disorderly conduct.

According to the criminal complaint against Simmons, provided to Patch by the Bronx DA, Simmons punched NYPD officer Billy Acosta multiple times in his face and body; bit him; kicked him; and caused him to fall onto his back, giving him "severe back and neck pain."

Acosta was left with bruising, soreness, lacerations, swelling and general pain, the complaint said.

The DA is then accusing Simmons of striking the other NYPD officer — Matthew Wright — numerous times about his face and body; kicking him; elbowing him in the face; striking him in the face with handcuffs; and causing him to fall backward and hit his head on a countertop. Wright suffered a broken nose and was treated at Jacobi Hospital, where he received multiple staples in his head, the complaint said.

Neither the NYPD nor the DA provided details on what types of injuries Simmons suffered while being beaten by police, nor their severity.

Pictured: Darnell Simmons. Photo courtesy of the NYPD

When the cops approached Simmons that day, according to the NYPD, the young man was wanted for 20 burglaries across Manhattan and the Bronx, as well as for violating his parole.

In early April, the NYPD's press office sent out a "wanted" sheet on Simmons to city reporters. At that time, Simmons was suspected of sneaking into two homes in the Bronx via fire escape last December. In the first alleged burglary, he stole "numerous amounts of sneakers, a PlayStation video game system and a set of car keys to a GMC Yukon," cops said. In the second, he allegedly stole some jewelry and a phone charger.

In the background of the video, uploaded by Instagram user @hocus45th, or Hasan Harris, bystanders can be heard screaming, "Why are you hitting him?" "Stop hitting him!" and "That don't make no sense!"

Multiple users have posted the video, so it is unclear who originally shot the footage. Another Instagram user, gohardboyznyc, posted it with the caption:

"This in The BX Smh ... I'm so sick of these Super Cops man@_kelz_145_ghb this made my whole Stomach turn .. Now Hope it go so viral all them Get Fired and Sent Up North to get the Same Thing In the YARD.... NOW WHAT EXCUSE WARRANTS THIS BS REPOST REPOST

Patch has reached out to various Instagram users who posted or re-posted the video for more information. Again, we'll update if we hear back.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.