This video showing city police officer Richard Cretella arresting a 16-year-old suspect on Stratford Avenue while enforcing the city’s curfew law has received thousands of views on YouTube. Is the police officer using force necessary to overcome resistance? It appears the suspect is resisting, and a city spokesman says the suspect reached for the officer’s duty belt. The video shows the officer slapping the juvenile suspect and placing his arm underneath the suspect’s neck.
The arrest took place Sunday morning at approximately 3:30 a.m. Cretella has a regular beat on Stratford Avenue enforcing curfew laws as well as after-hour establishments in the East End.
The juvenile was released to his mother. He was brought to Bridgeport Hospital where he was also combative and verbally abusive to hospital staff, according to sources. The video comes on a day the city announced a settlement of a lawsuit involving a man who was stomped by three city police officers in Beardsley Park in 2011. This latest video also shows the challenges city police officers face trying to enforce the city’s curfew ordinance.
Police spokesman Bill Kaempffer issued this statement on Tuesday:
Bridgeport Police arrested a juvenile at 3:30 a.m. Sunday after the suspect struggled with an officer who attempted to interview the juvenile for a curfew violation. The juvenile was charged with interfering with police. A passerby took a video of a portion of the arrest.
“The video shows an officer, minus back-up, attempting to control a suspect who is actively resisting arrest at 3:30 a.m. The suspect even attempted to stand up in the midst of being arrested. He also pushed the officer, and didn’t willingly provide his hands while being handcuffed. In addition, the officer reported that the suspect grabbed at his duty belt while resisting arrest.”
“The bottom line is that police officers put themselves in harm’s way to keep our streets safe every single day. They’re allowed to apply force when necessary to make an arrest, especially when a suspect is resisting, as was the case here.”
Just from this video, it looks like the guy with the camera is inciting more fight from the kid who is definitely resisting his arrest. The policeman is out there, alone, not knowing what might happen, people are hard to arrest when they don’t want to be. Handcuffs are the only way, but not easy to get on. Maybe the cameraman is going to jump in, he certainly seems upset enough. God bless the good police, not a job I would enjoy.
A 16-year-old out at 3:30 am. Must have good parents. Did the cameraman offer to assist the police officer? No, he yells “why is you chokin’ him, yo.” Let’s see if there is a rally to complain about enforcement of the curfew.
Good job by the police officer. I have a question for Chief Gaudett, why is this officer working alone? This poor misguided 16-year-old was just out at 3AM to buy a gallon of milk for his mommy. The camera guy is just an asshole.
You act like an animal, you get treated like an animal. Thank God for our police.
People seem to forget the police are people too with perhaps a wife and family to go home to. They are regularly in danger of being shot, stabbed, and bitten by unruly people who are either mentally ill or half-crazed on drugs. They have a right to defend themselves too and do whatever is necessary to subdue an out-of-control criminal who is a danger to other citizens.
What part of curfew did this young man not understand? What is the need to be out at 3AM??? Perhaps if teens acted in a law-abiding and civilized manner in the first place, there wouldn’t be a need for a curfew.
The man in the background making the comments should have been arrested for interfering with a police officer. This 16-year-old should be home instead of prowling the streets at 3:30am. Where are his parents? The truth of the matter is, some drug dealers use underage kids as runners knowing if they get arrested, they will only be tried as a juvenile offender. I don’t mean to imply that was what this boy was up to, but in reality, there’s no good reason for someone his age to be anywhere but home at that hour.
*** Seems like a little bit of both issues that end up causing concern on both sides of the so-called city curfew ordinance, no? Young man who seemed to appear as resisting orders by the officer at first, only to piss off the officer into using unprofessional hits to the youth’s face and head, no? ***
Mojo, the answer is no. This kid is lucky he really did not get hurt or shot. BTW where should the hits have gone? Do you know how long this struggle has been going on? No you don’t. Do you think maybe the cop was tiring out and wanted to get this 16-year-old in custody? It always looks easy from a lounge chair.