A video circulating online showing the police response to a fight between two teens has gone viral in what critics are calling an example of racial bias.
In the video, a Black boy and white boy can be seen verbally arguing before pushing and shoving each other at the Bridgewater Commons Mall in Bridgewater Township, N.J. The fight eventually escalates and a piece of furniture is shown sliding along the floor. The white teen then gets on top of the Black teen and throws him to the floor.
When two officers arrive, they pull the white teen off of the Black teen and one sits him on a couch. One officer then tackles the Black teen and begins to handcuff him with the assistance of the other officer. Meanwhile, the white teen is seen in the background watching, unrestrained.
In the video, a woman can be heard saying, “It is because he’s Black, racially motivated.”
Since the video surfaced online, the police department has received widespread criticism.
One social media user wrote, “The Bridgewater Mall Fight is the clearest example of how police actively use race as a shorthand for who they perceive as a threat. See for yourself.”
