Who is Rory Spain? Shocking footage shows NY cop punching woman in throat during arrest
EAST SYRACUSE, NEW YORK: A DeWitt police officer who punched a handcuffed woman has been placed on paid administrative leave while the department investigates the incident. According to department spokesman Lt. Jerry Pace, “Conclusions about whether the actions of the officers are consistent with department policy and the law will not be made until all facts are known and the investigation is complete.”
The incident occurred in a Walmart in East Syracuse. On Facebook, the DeWitt Police Department released a video that contained DeWitt Police body camera footage, video from the store, and video from customers. The video shows how the officer hit the woman “when she tried to bite him during an arrest. She was handcuffed at the time.”
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Who is Rory Spain?
Around 4.55 pm on July 4 at the East Syracuse Walmart on Basile Row, Officers dispatched to the store for a report of fighting among five to six people where employees were supposedly being “threatened, struck in the face and that customers had also been pepper sprayed,” Officer Spain tried to arrest Tyreana Edmonds. Then, Edmonds slumped to the ground and kicked a display of plastic boxes. When Spain dragged Edmonds by her handcuffs and one leg, she tried to bite Spain, who punched her in the face.
Other officers on the scene were Corey Buyck and Rebecca Bishop. Spin has reportedly been on the force since 2018. He is the only officer placed on leave.
Edmonds reportedly faces several charges, including attempted assault of a police officer, second-degree harassment and disorderly conduct. Another woman, Tajenik Byrd, who Edmonds identified in the video as her sister, has also been charged with similar crimes. According to Pace, Byrd used pepper spray during the argument with other people in the store. Both women were later released on appearance tickets.
Bodycam footage posted by the DeWitt Police Department shows a man at the entrance of Walmart directing Spain to two women the man alleged were involved in the reported fight. Store surveillance footage reportedly shows the earlier altercation that lasts about 30 seconds. In the video, as Spain tried to handcuff Edmonds, Byrd can be heard saying, “Get off my sister.” Edmonds then responded with, “Leave him... Let him cuff me… They tried to charge my sister. They jumped my sister two days ago. My sister’s a month pregnant.”
As per reports, a protest of about 25 people was held on the night of Friday, July 9, in the parking lot of the DeWitt Police Department. Hasahn Bloodworth of Rebirth SYR, an activist group pushing for police reform, said that he had organized the protest to hold law enforcement accountable. Reportedly, as the protest was coming to a close, at least three vehicles entered and began circling the parking lot. One protester said he felt the people in the vehicles were attempting to intimidate them.