A newly surfaced video shot on Thursday evening around 8 p.m. depicts a horrible case of police brutality. When 20-year-old Donovan Lawson allegedly attempted to jump over a Brooklyn subway turnstile (a practice called fare-beating, which is, while illegal, fairly common in New York City), he was approached by a police officer who asked him for identification.
When Lawson refused to show his ID, the cop attempted to put him in handcuffs. Lawson resisted that as well, and the cop responded by hitting him repeatedly with a nightstick. According to the man who shot the video, the officer also sprayed Lawson with pepper spray (before he began filming).
Subway fare is $2.50.
According to Gothamist, Lawson was taken to Woodhull Hospital, where he received treatment for cuts on his head, while the officer was taken to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center to be treated for injuries to his arm and hand. Lawson was eventually charged with fare beating, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and obstructing government administration.
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