NYPD breaks up punk rock show in most punk rock way possible
Anarchy on the LES!
Cops broke up an outdoor punk rock show on the Lower East Side, tackled members of the band Beechwood and hauled them away in cuffs Thursday, according to wild video footage, the band and police.
“Our drummer was beaten and dragged through the crowd, handcuffed, and placed into the police car. The police then grabbed our bass player, who is about half the size of the arresting officer, and dragged him by his hair and threw him to the ground,” the band told the Bowery Boogie blog.
The rockers were playing a permitted concert in front of the clothing shop, The Cast, on Orchard and Grand, when cops pulled up, according to the band.
Someone in the crowd tossed “a full can” of beer at the cop car, endangering cops, according to police.
A scuffle broke out, cops whipped out tasers, and slammed the band’s bassist, Dorian Tineo, to the ground, chipping his teeth, according to the band.
Police also hauled away its drummer, Isa Flowers, in a cop car, according to the band.
“Courtesy, Professionalism, Respect… my ass!!!” the band fumed Friday.
“This was a clear case of excessive force. They put everyone in danger!!! Are you kidding me? For having fun and playing music???”
But police fired back that Tineo — who was arrested for reckless endangerment and criminal mischief — was tackled because he resisted arrest. Flowers was not charged.
A third person Sidney Simons, 21, was also charged with resisting arrest, obstructing government administration and disorderly conduct, police said.