MANHATTAN — NYPD Internal Affairs is investigating a sergeant caught on video grabbing a woman by the neck in Little Italy and then pinning her against a car with his hand pressed to her throat.
The video, which was uploaded to YouTube at least a month ago, shows the sergeant chase after the woman briefly on Hester Street, between Baxter and Mulberry streets, before catching up to her, dragging her backward by the neck and pinning her to the car.
The video, which was first reported by the New York Post, was taken by someone in another vehicle that approaches the woman and then passes her by.
It shows the woman visibly grimacing with the sergeant's hand pressed to her neck.
It wasn't immediately clear when the video was recorded or what the police had stopped the woman for.
NYPD officials said "this is not a recent incident," but didn't provide any further details.
Those who work on the block where the video was recorded were outraged by the incident.
"It's messed up," said Mike Zhu, 29, a receptionist at Yan May Foot Spa Inc. "He used too much force."
Others agreed.
"It's surprising because the police don't need to do that. but this is the world. This happens," said Francesco Bernardo, who works at an Italian restaurant nearby.