Teenage son of retired NYPD detective charged with driving car at group of BLM protesters
The son of a former New York Police Department deputy inspector has been arrested after allegedly driving his car through a group of BLM protestors in New York, leaving one injured.
Justin Burgos, 18, was driving his BMW in the city on Wednesday night, when a street was blocked by a group of protesters on bicycles. The protesters were calling for an officer to be fired following allegations he assaulted a gay black man back in 2013, reports the Daily Mail.
Video footage taken by witnesses appears to shows Mr Burgos honking his car horn as he tried to force his way through the group.
Police and protesters surrounded the car as he continued to inch forward, and a bike became stuck under the vehicle. An officer pulled the bike away and the driver accelerated through the crowd, knocking into two protesters as he drove off.
Police said an 18-year-old was hit by the BMW and was treated at the scene for injuries to his right knee.
Mr Burgos was arrested nearby a short time later, and charged with leaving the scene of an accident, reckless endangerment, fleeing an officer in a vehicle, in addition to other charges.
The BLM protesters had been calling for the firing of Joseph Cuervo over an alleged police brutality incident involving Michael Watson in 2013.
Mr Watson, a gay black man, filed a lawsuit against the NYPD officer and several others in 2015. According to the lawsuit, Sgt Cuervo and other officers had allegedly mocked him and used homophobic slurs.
Sgt Cuervo allegedly threw Mr Watson to the floor and punched and kicked him, the lawsuit says.
Mr Watson was awarded a $150,000 settlement from the city in 2017 regarding the lawsuit.
