Common Council President Helen Hudson said in a Tuesday statement that the Syracuse police officer who pulled a black man from a car during a traffic stop Friday night used excessive force that “will not continue to be tolerated.”

A video posted Saturday to Instagram shows an officer grabbing Shaolin Moore, the driver of the vehicle, by the neck and pulling him out of the car. A group of officers are then seen holding Moore down outside the car. Yamil Osorio recorded the video from the passenger seat of the vehicle, and was removed from the car after Moore.

“This video is very disturbing to me and no one should be treated in such a manner by the people that are sworn to protect and serve,” Hudson said in her statement.

A silent protest against police brutality will be held Wednesday from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. outside Syracuse’s City Hall in the wake of the Friday arrest. A statement being circulated on social media states that “the community is left with unanswered questions and fearful hearts.” The CNY Solidarity Coalition has endorsed and is promoting the protest.

Syracuse Police Department Chief Kenton Buckner said in a statement Monday that the officers are under investigation, but will remain on duty. The case was already under review when the video was posted, he said.

Court records identified Moore, 23 of Syracuse, as the driver of the vehicle, Syracuse.com reported. SPD officer Christopher Buske said in a statement filed in court papers that he was afraid Moore was “concealing a weapon,” according to Syracuse.com.

In the video, Buske can be heard saying “get the f*ck out of the car or else you’re getting sprayed.” Buske’s threat was not mentioned in his statement, per Syracuse.com.

Buske said in his statement that he thought Moore had a handgun because he was “reaching for his waistband” as Buske tried to remove him from the vehicle. The video shows the officer hitting Moore in the head.

Hudson asked two questions in her statement: “Why was the officer so angry?” and “How does a simple loud music stop lead to such a disastrous outcome?”

Moore was charged with resisting arrest and a sound reproduction violation. Osorio was released at the scene.

Mayor Ben Walsh met with Buckner and other SPD leadership to discuss the department’s next steps in light of the incident, Walsh announced in a statement. He said he reached out to Buckner on Saturday after learning of the incident.

Published on June 4, 2019 at 7:28 pm

Contact India: irmiragl@syr.edu