The Westchester County District Attorney’s announcement that it will not pursue criminal charges for any officers involved in a controversial arrest at the Peekskill Riverfront on Dec. 3 drew criticism from community members at a council meeting at Peekskill City Hall on Monday, Dec. 22.
At that meeting, Peekskill Chief of Police Adam Renwick emphasized that the DA’s decision only concludes the criminal investigation and does not conclude the police department’s responsibility. An internal administrative investigation remains active and is focused on determining whether department policies, training standards or professional expectations were violated, he said.
“I understand the concerns raised by this incident,” Renwick said. “Let me be clear: accountability and policing is not limited to criminal charges. Officers are held to standards that go beyond the criminal law, and those standards will be adhered to. I remain committed to accountability, professionalism and maintaining the trust of the Peekskill community.”
Damar Fields, a homeless man with emotional issues known to police, was seen, on an online video (shared by Darrell Davis) and on newly-released body camera footage, being tased and punched during an arrest on Dec. 3. Later, on Dec. 18, charges filed against Fields included: public lewdness “in a public park where children and adults are known to be present;” criminal possession of a controlled substance; resisting arrest, and obstruction of governmental administration.
When asked by a resident at the Dec. 22 council session for the names of the officers involved, Chief Renwick identified the primary officer in the incident as Daniel Regg, and said the second officer arriving on the scene was Angelo Cintron.
The DA’s decision not to bring criminal charges against any officers was roundly rebuked by about a dozen residents at City Hall chambers, including members of a support committee for Fields, as well as past Peekskill Mayor Andre Rainey; Peekskill NAACP President Priscilla Augustin and past president Valerie Eaton, and Black Diamonds Academic Success Founder Martin McDonald.
“I don’t support it,” Augustin said of the DA’s decision. “We don’t support it. It sends the wrong message. No one, no one should be kicked, punched by our police officers. I don’t know what prompted it, I don’t know what kind of day he [the police officer] was having, but that shouldn’t happen.”
John Hodgins, a Peekskill resident and member of the support committee for Fields, condemned what he saw in the video, which he said showed two police officers severely beat up an unarmed Black man.
“When other police were called, they didn’t even pull those guys off them,” Hodgins said. “If there was real justice here in Peekskill, the two officers would be charged with assault and battery, and the other police officers would be charged as accessories to the crime.”
Resident Jean Shaw said her kids grew up with Fields when he lived in Croton-on-Hudson and that he was one of the people that made her kids feel comfortable.
“When they found out what happened to Damar, I can’t tell you how many phone calls I got,” Shaw said. “I never get phone calls. I had a million kids from Croton calling me, ‘Did you see what happened? That was Damar. Oh, my God, what should we do?’ Because they knew it was wrong.”
Leah Nelson, a Putnam Valley resident speaking on behalf of the Westchester Coalition for Police Reform, said the level of force raised serious questions. She called for further transparency from the county and questioned why “The Westchester Project Alliance Mobile Crisis Intervention Team, which exists specifically to respond to mental health crises,” was not activated.
The Westchester District Attorney’s office said that in the interest of full transparency it was publishing “the entirety” of the body camera footage collected as part of its review.
The bodycam worn by Regg shows a pantless Fields approaching Officer Regg, while cursing at Regg, and later saying to him, “I’ll kill you, you’re dead.” Fields was tased several times after refusing Regg’s commands. A struggle ensued between the two, with Regg cursing at Fields to get on his face, which only ended after more officers arrived at the scene.
The bodycam worn by Officer Cintron showed more clearly both him and Regg punching a bloody Fields in the face while yelling at him to get on his stomach. After other officers arrived at the scene, Fields was seen being placed on a gurney by the Peekskill Community Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
