Paterson police confrontation following mass shooting under investigation
The incident happened in the chaotic moments following a mass shooting last weekend that left seven people injured. Viewer discretion is advised, as some of the video may be disturbing.
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A violent altercation between a Paterson man and local police is under investigation, and the man at the center of a video showing that encounter spoke to News 12 Thursday.
The incident happened in the chaotic moments following a mass shooting last weekend that left seven people injured. Viewer discretion is advised, as some of the video may be disturbing.
Quashon Mayfield told News 12 he rushed to the scene at Rosa Parks Boulevard. after learning his brother was among the victims.
“I came out here to check on him and make sure he was good. I bent the corner right here,” he said.
He claims that when he arrived, he was confronted by an officer.
“He grabbed me by my sweater, yelled in my face where are you doing? I repeated, why did you grab me?” Mayfield said
Police officials, though, tell a different story.
Detective Angel Jimenez, union president for the Paterson Police Department, said the situation escalated when Mayfield entered an active crime scene.
Jimenez told News 12 officers were focused on providing emergency aid to victims when the altercation erupted.
“We’re there to perform lifesaving skills when this individual violently broke through a crime scene,” he said. “It becomes very, very dangerous. You have seven people that are shot. You’ve got injured people everywhere. We’re trying to save someone’s life. When that individual does what he does, we have no idea if he’s a suspect.”
Detective Jiminez said the video captures officers attempting to take Mayfield into custody.
“If you look at the video, we don’t have him secure. He’s not complying with any of our commands. Unfortunately, use of force isn’t pretty,” he said.
Mayfield was arrested Sunday night and charged with resisting arrest, but he disputes that claim.
“He punched me, and that’s when they all started punching me. They all started hitting me, taking me to the ground, kicking me, punching me in my face. I’m catching knees to the face. They’re pulling my dreads out,” Mayfield said
The incident has intensified concerns in the community about the relationship between residents and police.
“It ain’t no relationship,” Mayfield said regarding trust between the public and people in his neighborhood.
The investigation by the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, as well as Paterson Police Department's Internal Affairs, is ongoing.
