(CNN) A video showing police officers breaking up a fight between a Black teenager and a White teenager at a New Jersey mall has prompted outrage over the police response.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday that the “appearance of what is racially disparate treatment is deeply, deeply disturbing.
“One video of the incident reviewed by CNN shows the boys arguing before the White teenager points his finger at the Black teenager’s face, and the Black teenager pushes the White teenager’s hand back.
The White teenager pushes the Black teenager, who begins to throw punches at the other boy. The White teenager punches back.
The Black teenager ends up on the ground. Two Bridgewater Township police officers arrive and separate the two boys.
The Black teenager begins to get up and is pinned to the ground by one officer and rolled on to his stomach, with his hands behind his back.
The other officer pushes the White teenager onto a nearby couch and then assists in handcuffing the Black teenager. Eventually, officers stand the handcuffed Black teenager up.
It is unclear from the video how the incident escalated between the boys or what happened after the Black teenager was handcuffed.
The Bridgewater Township Police Department said in a Facebook post that they know video of the incident has upset members of the community.
They have asked the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the incident.
“We recognize that this video has made members of our community upset and are calling for an internal affairs investigation,” the department wrote.
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