crimes and misdemeanors

The NYPD Arrested This Man for Sleeping on an Empty Subway Car

The recent “broken windows” policing of the New York City subway under NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton — which includes clearing out dancing panhandlers and homeless people, just in case — now, inevitably, has an ugly arrest video. In a clip posted today by Gothamist but filmed May 30 just after 4 a.m., a black man is approached by officers for “dozing off,” according to the videographer witness, before things get completely out of control. “For what!? For what!?” the man yells as the recording starts. “‘Cause I’m sleeping? I ain’t do shit. I’m sleeping … I’m coming from work and they fuckin’ with me because I’m sleeping … There’s clearly bums on the train that sleep. I’m coming from work!”

Making matters far, far worse, the unidentified man proceeds to violently resist arrest for the next five-plus minutes, eventually requiring four officers (one of whom swats the camera away) to detain him. The NYPD confirmed to Gothamist that the man was originally targeted for “committing a Transit Rules and Regulations violation of laying outstretched occupying more than one seat,” but earned himself charges for resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration in the process.

All this for what?” he screams. It’s very hard to watch.

NYPD Arrests Man for Sleeping on Subway: Video