The Nassau County Police Department announced the arrests of three people for disorderly conduct during a protest against racism on Friday in East Meadow.
“For the demonstrators’ safety, police repeatedly made attempts to keep protesters off moving lanes of traffic,” according to a joint statement from County Executive Laura Curran and Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder. “This safety precaution was met with strong opposition and resistance which resulted in the arrests of these subjects.”
One confrontation between police officers and a protester was caught on cellphone and went viral on Twitter.
Peaceful protest in East Meadow, NY (Long Island):
An officer abruptly stops so the protestor walking behind him bumps into the cop.
Then the man is violently arrested.
Bystanders: “they kneeled on his neck & had about 6 officers holding him down.”pic.twitter.com/uNK5DOaFRo
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) June 13, 2020
The video shows a protester walking with a loudspeaker on wheels on Carman Avenue at the intersection of Hempstead Turnpike. A police officer in front of the protester is seen stopping in the road, resulting in the protester bumping into him. The incident led to multiple officers bringing the protester to the ground and arresting him.
New York Attorney General Letitia James asked people to send her that video and others related to it. James said her office is holding a public hearing on Wednesday on interactions between police and protesters. Nassau officials said there is an ongoing internal investigation into the arrests.
The protester in the viral video remains unnamed, while 25-year-old Tiandre Tuosto and his 28-year-old brother, Terrel Tuosto, were the other two who were arrested during Friday’s protest, according to multiple reports.
Officials said the Tuosto brothers were charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly obstructing traffic in East Meadow. Both are due in court on Sept. 10, officials said.
Efforts to reach the brothers for comment were unavailing.
According to Newsday, Tiandre Tuosto started Long Island Peaceful Protest for George Floyd last month and has organized protests throughout Long Island with more than a dozen members.
Floyd, a black man, was arrested on May 25 by Minneapolis police officers after a deli employee contacted authorities, accusing him of buying cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill, according to news reports.
A viral video showed Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin holding his knee on Floyd’s neck. A criminal complaint from the Hennepin County attorney’s office said, “The defendant had his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in total. Two minutes and 53 seconds of this was after Mr. Floyd was non-responsive.”
Chauvin, who is white, was initially charged with third-degree murder until his charge was updated to second-degree murder and manslaughter, according to news reports. He was one of four officers fired from the Police Department due to the incident.
The complaint said three factors contributed to Floyd’s death: “The combined effects of Mr. Floyd being restrained by the police, his underlying health conditions and any potential intoxicants in his system likely contributed to his death.”
Three other Minneapolis police officers who were present at the scene of the arrest were also charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder, according to news reports.
Nassau County Legislator Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport) released a statement after hearing about the three arrests on Friday.
“Following the killing of George Floyd, tens of thousands of people have participated in dozens of protests across Nassau County, and we are grateful that they have been almost entirely peaceful. Unlike other parts of the country, demonstrations in Nassau County have resulted in minimal arrests, few reports of injuries, and no reports of intentional property damage. Moving forward, de-escalation is a powerful message of this moment. Through that, meaningful progress can be achieved.”
On Tuesday night, nearly 200 protesters returned to the scene of the Friday arrests around 6 p.m. The protesters gathered in the parking lot behind the East Meadow Mall before marching on Hempstead Turnpike.
“Our Police Officers take an oath to protect and serve and they have done that admirably,” the joint statement from Curran and Ryder said. “We have and continue to protect the public which includes protesters, during marches, on major roadways, and during their interaction with counter-protesters. We continue to support the rights of individuals who exercise their freedom of speech according to the First Amendment; however, these demonstrations must remain safe and orderly.”
