Tyrie Davis, aged 17, was heading home from his Manhattan high-school when he smelt something foul. In response to the odor, Davis said aloud, “it smells like doo-doo.” A fairly routine comment; however, was not taken so lightly by a New York police officer, who thought the remark was directed towards him.
Following the comment, Davis claims that a number of officers exited a nearby unmarked van to scold the student and place him under arrest. Davis was then brought to the local police station where he was summoned for disorderly conduct.
The peculiarity of this story did not stop with the arrest. Following Davis’s release (at 3 a.m.), arresting officer, Joseph Murphy and fellow cop, Jose Ocasio, accosted Davis when the teen exited the police station. Seemingly incensed by the comments, Murray and Ocasio, according to the criminal report filed by teen’s mother, struck Davis repeatedly “with closed fists and kicks.”
The incident, which took place on February 18th of this year, made headlines this week as both Ocasio and Murphy were charged with third-degree assault, harassment and official misconduct. Currently, the two officers await trial.
