Rochester police released video Thursday from a “blue light” surveillance camera that captured last Saturday’s controversial arrest on Remington Street.
It became controversial because of video posted to social media that showed an investigator kicking 31-year-old Jarvis Lewis as officers held him down to the pavement. The surveillance video is from a different angle, and shows the investigator was kicking a gun out of Lewis’ hand.
Police approached Jarvis Lewis Saturday evening to arrest him on multiple felony warrants, including for a Rochester shooting. The video shows Lewis fighting with officers as they try to take him into custody. His brother, 32-year-old Travis Lewis, was also arrested when he ran up and tried to intervene. A number of neighborhood residents surround the officers, who called for backup. A large police presence resulted and people were pepper-sprayed when they refused to obey police orders.
Police Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan said the officers knew Lewis was a registered sex offender and that he was armed and a parole violator when they approached him. She says they did what they needed to do to take him into custody, and while it was’t pretty, the officers followed their training.
The chief says if officers hadn’t kicked the gun out of Lewis’ hand he might have tried to fire, and police would have shot him. Bystanders would have been at risk.
The investigator who kicked the gun out of Lewis’ hand was put on administrative duties, but Chief Herriott-Sullivan says he’ll be back on full duties Friday.