NJ Attorney General Probes Paterson Police Alleged Assault on 19-Year-Old – NBC New York

State and district attorneys say they are investigating an allegation that New Jersey police officers attacked a man “without provocation” in December.

Officials said Monday that the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability will be investigating with Passaic County’s attorneys.

Officials said the case concerns allegations of the attack by Paterson officials on a then 19-year-old man early December 14th. Anyone with information is asked to call investigators.

Osamah Alsaidi claimed in an Instagram post on Friday that he ran to his car to go to work when officers approached and beat him for “no reason”. He posted a surveillance video that appears to show the moment two officers approached him in an unmarked car before repeatedly beating him and arresting him for grievous bodily harm.

One of the officers wrote in his police report that they were investigating reports of a suspicious person in the area when the man “approached screaming foul language and acted warlike and caused a disturbance” and attacked one of them. He was charged with grievous bodily harm to a police officer, disorderly conduct, and resisting the arrest.

Alsaidi says it doesn’t, and while it is unclear what happened prior to the video he posted, the footage does not match what the police report says.

“Totally contrary to what is in the video. To make the injury worse, they charged him with three points,” said lawyer Akram Alsaidi.

Alsaidi says his vision was blurred from the concussion he suffered while being arrested. He also had pain in his jaw and areas of his body where he was repeatedly hit.

In a statement, Paterson Police Director Jerry Speziale said the department was recently made aware of the video. Officials said the officers involved were not wearing body cameras at the time of the violent arrest.

Mayor Andre Sayegh told NJ Advance Media that officials remain on duty while the incident is “actively investigated” by city detectives and district attorneys.