Video: Cops Beat Bronx Teen, D.A. Launches Investigation

The Bronx D.A. and NYPD Internal Affairs are investigating officers caught on video beating a Bronx teenager during a drug arrest on Thursday. NY1 is first with the story, and reports that Jatiek Reed, 19, was arrested last week on charges of robbery, possession of marijuana and crack cocaine and assaulting a police officer. This video shows part of the arrest, with police beating Reed with batons and kicking him as he lies on his side on the sidewalk: According to the criminal complaint, an officer needed stitches "to close a cut on his nose." But Reed's family is planning to sue the city, and his father tells NY1, "This so-called assault on an officer, which we all know never took place. Even... if it had happened and if he hit this officer, no one ever saw that. And it still doesn't call for the abuse that they put on my son. A sergeant was there allowing all of this abuse to take place in his presence."

After the arrest, Reed's mother, brother, and friend went to the precinct station house to confront officers about the incident, and they were arrested as well. The NYPD claims they attacked officers, but they deny that. "They refused to take him back to the hospital and they wouldn't give him no medicine or anything," Reed's mother tells NY1. "He has staples in his head, he has staples in his arm, his eyes were black, his whole entire back is black, blue, purple."

And on Facebook, one "Rebel Diaz" has been trying to spread word about the incident, writing, "The kid's name is Jatiek Reed, he is a high school senior expecting to graduate this May. He was unarmed and stopped for no reason. He is currently in jail ...along with his family who were arrested after going to bail him out. They attempted to mace Trevor, the guy filming. THIS IS CRAZY AS HELL. THEY LOCKED UP THE FAMILY AND HAVE BEEN HARASSING THE YOUTH WHO FILMED THE VIDEO..."