Shocking moment male NYPD cop punches woman in Harlem

Shocking moment male NYPD detective punches woman, 19, in the face and knocks her to the ground after cops were spat on as they tried to arrest boyfriend for attempted murder

• Kendo Kinsey smacks Tamani Crum, 19, after she intervened as cops made arrest
• They were trying to take 22-year-old Elvin James into police custody in Harlem
• The horrifying video shows the detective march over to her and slug her in face
• It sparked an immediate uproar from her family, who blasted the NYPD detective
• NYPD shot them down and defended the officer, as it said James had gun on him

This is the shocking moment a male NYPD detective punches a woman in the face as they tried to arrest her attempted murder suspect boyfriend.

Kendo Kinsey smacks Tamani Crum, 19, to the ground after she intervened while officers were trying to arrest 22-year-old Elvin James in Harlem.

The horrifying video shows the detective march over to her and slug her during the jaw-dropping exchange at 5pm on Tuesday.

The incident sparked an immediate uproar from activists and her family, who blasted the top cop for putting his hand on a woman.

But the NYPD quickly shot them down and defended the officer, noting James had a gun and her attempts to stop the arrest could have been deadly.

The footage showed a chaotic scene as a swarm of officers struggled with a group of people outside of an apartment building reported to be in Harlem

A thin woman in a skirt appeared to get into an altercation with a Officer Kinsey, who tried to push her out of the crowd by shoving at her head with his arm

It was was unclear if the woman hit her head on the pavement, but she could be seen dazed and clutching her face with both her hands as people in the crowd shouted at Kinsey ‘Why’d you do that! She’s just a little girl!’

The footage showed a chaotic scene as a swarm of officers struggled with a group of people outside of an apartment building on W136 Street in Harlem.

Bystanders could be heard yelling loudly as cops detained James and a scuffle broke out between them.

A thin woman wearing a skirt, later identified as Crum, then ran into the chaos and began speaking to James.

She then got into an altercation with Officer Kinsey, who tried to push her out of the crowd by shoving at her head with his arm.

But she slapped at Kinsey’s arm and he responded by punching her square in the face – so hard she flew off her feet and landed on her back on the sidewalk.

Kinsey and another officer then calmly helped the woman to her feet, then cuffed and led her away wordless and with a blank expression on her face

Office Kinsey (left) can be seen cuffing the woman (right) he punched in the face then carrying her away

New York City Mayor Eric Adams called for calm from the public until an investigation has been completed.

He said: ‘It’s a lot of madness going on. This is not just something that is a theatrical performance.

‘This is real danger. This person was wanted for murder. This person had a loaded gun.’

It was was unclear if she hit her head on the pavement but she could be seen dazed and clutching her face with both her hands as people in the crowd shouted.

One yelled: ‘Why’d you do that! She’s just a little girl!’ You’re wilding, bro!’ as others swarmed around the officers.

Kinsey and another cop then calmly helped the woman to her feet, cuffed her and led her away wordless and with a blank expression on her face.

Activists and Crum’s family decried the shocking video and called into question Kinsey’s actions.

Rev. Stephen Marshall said: ‘The question for the NYPD is when it became a tactic for crowd control to knock somebody unconscious.’

Her grandmother Julia added: ‘He cold knocked her out. He’s not better than the people who are knocking people out in the street…

‘He should never have put his hands on her or any female. He’s wrong. He’s wrong. He’s wrong.’

New York City Mayor Eric Adams called for calm from the public until an investigation has been completed.

He said: ‘It’s a lot of madness going on. This is not just something that is a theatrical performance.

‘This is real danger. This person was wanted for murder. This person had a loaded gun.’

James was arrested on the spot after being wanted in connection with an August 12 murder.

The NYPD told DailyMail.com he was found with a loaded firearm and a large amount of controlled substances.

Officer Kendo D. Kinsey was filmed punching a woman in the face so hard she flew from her feet and landed on her back on a Harlem sidewalk

Police said Crum and Faith Harrell, 27 were also arrested for charges including assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest.

Meanwhile a third woman, 26, who has not been named, was given a court summons for spitting on an officer.

An NYPD source told the Daily News: ‘That guy had a loaded firearm on him. If she was successful in stopping the arrest, then he could have pulled that gun and hurt someone.’

Another added: ‘A lot of people see cops struggling and wrestling with people. But they have to understand that punching someone is a justifiable action too.’

Kinsey began service with the NYPD as a police officer in 2005. He became a detective specialist in 2021 and serves in the 32nd Precinct.

Kinsey told the Daily Beast he was ‘very much aware’ of the footage but declined to comment further.

In a 2017 NYPD recruitment video, Kinsey discussed how he was honored to be in the same precinct where the city’s first black officer Samuel Battle served in 1911.

He said: ‘When I decided to become a police officer, I thought that I wanted to be a great African American police officer so I can change my community.

‘Samuel Battle was the first black neighborhood coordination officer for the 32 precinct.

‘Because he was there for the people, the people loved him, he love the peopled, he was there to fight for the people. Being an NCO in Harlem, that’s also what I’m here for.’

Kinsey has also served as a neighborhood coordination officer in the 32 precinct, a position Battle once held.

Detectives’ Endowment Association President Paul DiGiacomo said: ‘Criminals in NY have grown accustomed to there being no consequences for their dangerous, illegal actions — but when you assault a New York City Detective in order to interfere with an arrest of a man armed with a gun there are repercussions.

‘As the DEA explores a possible civil suit on behalf of our dedicated member against the woman who attacked him, we urge politicians to open their eyes and see the public safety disaster they’ve created.

He also laid into Al Sharpton, a civil rights activist, saying: ‘As for Al Sharpton’s insane comments, he should be worried about the thousands of actual crime victims in this city and not the limelight and lining of his pockets.’

DiGiacomo added to DailyMail.com: ‘They (Sharpton) said they’re going to be filing a civil suit. We’re going to be looking to file a civil suit as well, against the woman.’

He defended the detective’s actions as necessary against a woman who was clearly resisting arrest: ‘This individual (James) was in possession of a loaded, illegal firearm, and her interference in that arrest could have cost the police officers as well as other innocent people their lives because they had to divert their attention away from the armed suspect to her.’

The NYPD said an investigation has been launched but refused to comment further on the video.

According to The New York Post the NYPD had not disciplined Kinsey as of Wednesday.

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