For many residents of Peekskill, New York, the video was not just disturbing; it felt familiar.
Footage showing a Black man, 42-year-old Damar Fields, being tased, kicked, and struck by police during a Dec. 3 arrest at Riverfront Green Park has sparked widespread outrage, community protests, and an official investigation into the Peekskill Police Department’s use of force.
The video, obtained by CBS News and shared by community activist Darrell Davis, shows a White officer deploying a stun gun on Fields while shouting commands, then kicking him as he lies on the ground. As the encounter continues, a second officer arrives and punches Fields. Both officers end up on top of him, striking him multiple times, before additional officers arrive and take him into custody.
Police had responded to a complaint about a man near the gazebo along the Hudson River. What followed, residents say, is part of a broader and deeply concerning pattern of how Black men are treated during police encounters.
“They beat our brother”
The release of the video prompted an immediate response from the community. According to the Peekskill Herald, an unidentified officer involved in the arrest was placed on paid administrative leave as the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office launched an investigation.
On Saturday, Dec. 13, approximately 75 people gathered at the riverfront gazebo, the site of Fields’ arrest, for a peaceful rally protesting what demonstrators described as police brutality against a Black man. Attendees called for the release of the full body-worn camera footage and shared personal stories of negative interactions with law enforcement.
“The way they beat our brother was inhumane,” Davis told the Peekskill Herald on Dec. 15. Davis, who serves as a spokesperson for Fields’ family, said Fields was known to police and had emotional issues in the past. “And someone who did that should not have a gun or badge. And we are not letting this go.”
Davis has consistently said that nothing shown in the video justifies the level of force used against Fields.
“It was disgusting, it was horrible,” Davis told reporters on Dec. 5. “The young man is traumatized. He’s still getting medical help. I don’t care if this guy is a mass murderer. You had him tased, helpless, and you pounced on him, and that’s not your job.”
Police response and pushback
Following the video’s circulation, Peekskill Police Chief Adam Renwick referred the case to the district attorney for an independent investigation. Speaking at a city council meeting on Dec. 8, Renwick said the footage raised serious concerns.
“I did this because the video circulating on social media raised legitimate questions about the use of force, and it was essential that all aspects of the incident be investigated fully and impartially,” Renwick said, according to a Dec. 10 report from the Peekskill Herald. He added that the department has turned over body-worn camera footage, reports, and witness statements.
Mayor Vivian McKenzie also acknowledged the gravity of what residents saw.
“It’s a partial video. It doesn’t show the whole incident, but the part that is there is very, very concerning,” McKenzie said on Dec. 17. “There is always more to the story, but again, I will say, what we saw was very concerning.”
Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace has assigned her Public Law Enforcement Integrity Unit to investigate how officers handled Fields’ arrest.
A competing narrative
The Peekskill Police Benevolent Association has defended the unnamed officer’s actions and offered a different account of what led to Fields’ arrest.
PBA attorney Andrew Quinn claimed Fields was allegedly exposing himself in the park and refused to comply with police commands. Quinn alleged that Fields acted irrationally, aggressively approached the officer, and appeared to be under the influence of narcotics, arguing that force was necessary to detain him.
The PBA also stated that Fields was known to the officer due to what it described as frequent problematic behavior and accused him of resisting arrest “violently.”
Fields is not currently in custody, and no charges have been filed against him as of the time of this writing.
Sources reported that Peekskill police had previously arrested Fields in September on an alleged misdemeanor drug possession charge.
Beyond one video
For Davis and other community members, the incident is about more than a single arrest. Since the video was shared, Davis said numerous residents have contacted him with photos and videos alleging other instances of police violence in Peekskill and across Westchester County.
In response, Davis helped form a support committee to assist Fields, raising funds to move him from the streets into a hotel. The committee includes Ingrid Wittmann and Arne Paglia, both of whom spoke at the rally, along with several other residents.
Davis has also encouraged community members to write letters to the district attorney calling for charges against the officers involved and urging compassion in Fields’ treatment.
As the investigation continues, many in Peekskill say the video has become a stark reminder of the risks Black men face in encounters with law enforcement, and a call to ensure that what happened to Damar Fields is neither quietly dismissed nor repeated.
