Police investigating arrest of black teen selling water bottles at Philly zoo: report
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Police are investigating the arrest of a black teenager who was reportedly selling water bottles outside the Philadelphia Zoo. (AP)
Authorities in Philadelphia are reportedly investigating a video that appears to show police struggling to arrest a black teenager who was allegedly selling water bottles outside the city’s zoo.
The video from last Thursday was posted on Facebook and appears to show an officer tossing the 14-year-old to the ground while a group of children and adults can be heard yelling.
“No! Don’t do that, y’all,” the person recording the video can be heard yelling. “Don’t do that!”
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A public safety officer, who had been working to disperse the group for soliciting money from customers, was the one who flagged down police, a spokeswoman for the zoo said.
The children were allegedly selling water bottles to raise money for a local football team, according to FOX 29. Police sources told the station that they doubted that the players were selling for the team, and they did not have a permit.
The same group has stirred trouble in the past, according to a zoo spokeswomman. The spokesman said the group threw rocks and harassed a female public safety officer.
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She also noted that it’s standard practice to ask anyone engaged in commercial or aggressive behavior to leave.
A teenager and an adult were cited for disorderly conduct.
The police have since launched an internal investigation following complaints from the community to determine whether the officers’ actions were appropriate.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.