NYPD Responds To Arrest Of Transgender Protestor Following Disturbing Video

On Tuesday, the New York City Police Department came under fire after a video of plainclothes officers in an unmarked vehicle interrupted a peaceful protest to arrest a transgender woman.

The way officers apprehended 18-year-old Nikki Stone disturbed fellow protestors and social media users who have noted that the arrest looked more like a kidnapping.

In the video, the plainclothes officers, who are seen jumping out of an unmarked van, grab Stone and throw her in the vehicle as officers on bicycles block protestors from interfering.

A fellow protestor then posted the video on Twitter, where outraged citizens began speaking out about the arrest and using the hashtag “Where Is Nikki” to raise awareness about the incident.

Following the backlash over the video, the official NYPD News Twitter account explained the incident in a series of tweets.

“In regard to a video on social media that took place at 2 Ave & 25 St, a woman taken into custody in an unmarked van was wanted for damaging police cameras during 5 separate criminal incidents in & around City Hall Park. The arresting officers were assaulted with rocks & bottles,” the tweet read.

Another follow-up read, “When officers from the Warrant Squad took the woman into custody in a gray NYPD minivan this evening, they were assaulted with rocks and bottles. The Warrant Squad uses unmarked vehicles to effectively locate wanted suspects.”

The New York Post reported that Stone, who was released from police custody on Wednesday, was charged with several counts of criminal mischief and graffiti, and other charges.