A viral video showing a young boy being taken into custody by police officers in Syracuse, New York, has prompted an internal investigation by the local police department.
The video, which was filmed by a bystander, shows three officers putting the boy in a police car after they said he stole something from a store.
The clip has been viewed more than 1 million times on social media, with some commenters accusing the police of overreacting.
After the clip went viral, the Syracuse Police Department issued a statement on Twitter about the incident, saying that the officers brought the boy home to his father and did not press charges.
“We (SPD) are aware of a video being shared on social media involving several of our Officers and juveniles accused of stealing from a store on the City’s northside,” the statement read. “The incident, including the Officers’ actions and body-worn cameras, are being reviewed.
"There is some misinformation involving this case. The juvenile suspected of larceny was not placed in handcuffs," police said. "He was placed in the rear of a patrol unit where he was directly brought home. Officers met with the child’s father and no charges were filed.”
Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh also issued a statement on Twitter about the incident and said that an investigation of the officers’ body camera footage was “ongoing.”
“When the online video was first shared with me on Monday, I was concerned,” he said in his statement. “I asked Chief Buckner and the SPD to review all body worn camera footage, which is ongoing. Officers were responding to a call for a larceny that had just occurred at a nearby business.
“Based on what I have seen, the body camera footage demonstrates no handcuffs were used by officers at any time. The child was placed in the back of a patrol car and taken home to his family," the mayor's statement said.