ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The city of Rochester has suspended police officers seen in body-camera videos spraying a chemical "irritant" in the face of a distraught and handcuffed 9-year-old girl.
A press release from the city Monday did not specify how many officers were suspended. The suspensions will last at least until an internal police investigation is completed.
The action comes as community outrage continues to grow following the release of footage Sunday showing officers restraining and scolding the girl, who was screaming for her father. The police were responding to a report of "family trouble."
New York Attorney General Letitia James says her office is looking into what happened.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo released the following statement Monday about the incident:
"As a human, this incident is disturbing and as a father, it's heartbreaking—this isn't how the police should treat anyone, let alone a 9-year-old girl. Across New York and around the country, the relationship between police and the communities they serve is clearly not working, which is why we launched a statewide effort to bring everyone to the table and make real, lasting reform. Rochester needs to reckon with a real police accountability problem, and this alarming incident demands a full investigation that sends a message this behavior won't be tolerated."
