The power of witness has been the primary power of the people; today, everyone holds the means of recording such witness in the palm of their hand. And because of the filmed witness of the brutal beating Damar Fields suffered at the hands of Peekskill police, an opportunity awaits the city of Peekskill and its police force.   

That opportunity can be seized only if creative and inclusive ways of addressing such situations are utilized. 

The beating and tasing of Fields on a Wednesday afternoon in early December 2025 at the hands of two police officers is not how we as a city want to be defined. 

Granted, Fields, who is known to Peekskill police, was walking around a Riverfront Green Park playground with his pants down and shouting aimlessly. But his behavior, while clearly disturbing, did not warrant the brute force that was witnessed on the widely circulated videos of his arrest. 

The Westchester County district attorney’s office, which reviewed the bodycams of the officers on the scene, did not deem that those officers’ behavior justified bringing criminal charges against them. 

What the district attorney did say, however, is that proper police procedures weren’t followed and that better training of the officers is warranted.  “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced,” said acclaimed writer and rights activist James Baldwin. What needs to be faced here is how police interact with people who are suffering from acute behavioral issues. 

We now await the findings of an internal investigation undertaken by Peekskill’s new police chief, Adam Renwick, and we commend his transparency in publicly identifying Daniel Regg and Angelo Cintron as the officers involved in the Fields incident. 

We also eagerly await how the city’s Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) responds to this incident, its first case. Included in its two years of training, CCRB told us, were  the best practices followed in Ossining, one of four municipalities in Westchester with a Civilian Complaint Review Board. We’d like to see our CCRB borrow a page from Ossining’s playbook and ask for the appointment of a special independent investigator. That person would be vetted by the Common Council and funded by a line item in the city budget. 

Peekskill is a city with an engaged activist community that rallies quickly behind injustices. We are a community with lots of heart and talent. And yet, one needn’t be an avowed activist to support, and expect, fair and equal justice for all. And therein lies the opportunity for Peekskill.

Harnessing the energy of those who are horrified by what they saw on a video at Riverfront Green Park is one way forward. Creating a coalition that includes those who show up at meetings, attend court dates and lobby for justice is the beginning. The coalition can be strengthened by the welcome new wave of citizens who have chosen to live and work in Peekskill.  

The articles in the Peekskill Herald concerning Damar Fields happened to be published at the same time as a series of profiles of five new clergy members who sought out this city and its religious congregations as their preferred next ministry. 

They are individuals who bring a fresh perspective to our city and its citizens.They recognize the desire of congregations to unite and do good in the world. They welcome the challenge of revitalizing small congregations. They are trained to observe and listen and create collaborations. They bring skills in conflict analysis and resolution. They are connected to the Peekskill populace in ways both deep and wide. 

Marshalling the community outrage through peaceful activism — and including the energy and expertise of the new clergy to build an inclusive coalition and engage with new police leadership — is a good first step in charting a new path forward.

Such engagement will require time, people skills and a commitment to justice, but Peekskill has the strength to make it a reality. Does it also have the resolve? 

We hope — and pray — it does.