"What the Hell Is This?’ Officer in Viral Subway Video Didn’t Know He Had Gone Viral
The article reports on Syed Ali, a Police officer who showed great restraint and discipline by quickly de-escalating a situation. A scuffle broke out between five homeless men and the Syed Ali, and he was able to fend off all with his baton and fit only. A bystander captured the video and shared it on social media, attracting hundreds of thousands of views (Gold & Kulish, 2018). The officer was surprised that the video had been captured and posted on social media, a platform he does not use.
The officer was acclaimed by many people in New York and other places. His action was also applauded by some leaders, with Mayer Bill de Blasio praising him for the “extraordinary professionalism and bravery” (Gold & Kulish, 2018). A former Police Commissioner, Bill Bratton, was in agreement with the lawyer. The officer was also presented with a certificate by Chaim M. Deutsch, a Democratic Councilman from Brooklyn, as a thanksgiving for how he managed to handle the situation (Gold & Kulish, 2018). The officer was glad the video was captured since it enabled him to reconstruct the incident.
He could not recall all the detail captured in the video, due to high tension and adrenaline rush. He saw the video as important since many officers are blamed if such situations get out of hand. The officer was responding to a complaint by a woman at a subway station that the five men were disturbing her, and she was scared (Gold & Kulish, 2018). The men became aggressive when Officer Ali told them to leave.
The article highlights a rare case of a police officer being honored for doing his work well. The public applause drew the attention of the leaders who appreciated the officer for his professionalism and courage.
Reference
Gold, M., Kulish, N., (2018, December 26). "What the Hell Is This?’ Officer in Viral Subway Video Didn’t Know He Had Gone Viral. New York Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/26/nyregion/nypd-homeless-attack-video.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FPolice
