A moment of police activity caught on camera during the city's St. Patrick's Day parade that a teen's family is calling excessive force has ignited a firestorm and sent protesters marching down the streets of New Haven Monday afternoon.
During the parade on March 15, video shows an officer forcing a hand-cuffed Teandrea Cornelius to the ground. Seconds later, a sharp-looking object appears to be confiscated.
The 15-year-old's family says the incident began inside a Buffalo Wild Wings where she was threatened by an 18-year-old and that the taped incident left Cornelius with a fractured shoulder and cut near her eye.
Protesters say police went too far.
"Did this warrant this kind of activity to happen to this young lady?" asked Pastor John Lewis.
The crowd then went inside after speaking on the department steps and demanded to speak with the chief.
After being told he was in Paris, they marched outside and blocked the road and refused to move until someone came out to speak to them. Police told the crowd it is all being investigated by internal affairs.
"There is a process, due process for anyone. So you have to allow that process to come to fruition, and I'm sure, positive 100 percent that the chief will make those results available to all of you," said Lt. Herbert Sharp with New Haven Police.
Patience was in short supply at the protest with many demanding all charges against the teen be dropped.
While some believe this is a race issue, the family of the young girl disagree and emphasize this isn't an attack on police but on the actions of one officer.
"This is not a race card. She could have been of any nationality," said Ann Boyd, the teen's grandmother.
Protesters say they want to be in on the decision making process for who is hired by the department.
The group says there will be another protest Tuesday afternoon at city hall.
