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Black mother pepper-sprayed in front of her toddler, police say

March 7, 2021. Summarized by summa-bot.

Compression ratio: 21.5%. 1 min read.

The Police Accountability Board in Rochester, New York, is calling for fundamental changes in the city's police department after police said a Black mother was pepper-sprayed during an arrest, which body camera footage showed took place in front of her 3-year-old child.

(CNN)The Police Accountability Board in Rochester, New York, is calling for fundamental changes in the city's police department after police said a Black mother was pepper-sprayed during an arrest, which body camera footage showed took place in front of her 3-year-old child.

In a statement, the Rochester Police Department said the officers were responding to a report of a female shoplifter who was "arguing with store employees and refusing to leave. "

Rochester Police Chief Cynthia Herriot-Sullivan said during a news conference on Friday that it appears that the officers were following department policy on pepper spray, which is allowed if the individual is "physically resisting. "

In another encounter on January 29, body camera footage showed Rochester officers handcuffing and pepper-spraying a 9-year-old while responding to what police said was a report of "family trouble. "

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