State Attorney General requests records relating to Binghamton Police ‘kneeling incident’

BINGHAMTON (WBNG) — The Office of Attorney General Letitia James has requested records relating to a Binghamton Police Officer kneeling on the neck of a man on New Year’s Day.

A video shared with 12 News in early January showed an officer, whose identity has yet to be confirmed by Binghamton City Officials, showed a policeman on the neck of a man who was on the ground outside of Dillinger’s Irish Pub. The next day, Hamail Waddell; a Black-Asian man, filed a complaint with the Binghamton Police Department.

“It is my hope the Office of Attorney General’s review will result in additional bystander video footage of the arrest being made available to assist in determining the facts,” Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham said in a news release, which was sent to media just hours before he is set to meet with President Joe Biden in Washington for the US Conference of Mayors.

Binghamton Police said the incident occurred after a fight broke out in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day. However, those in support of Waddell, have compared the incident to former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on the neck of George Floyd in May 2020.

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Activists have made several demands since the incident occurred, including the firing of the officer involved and the removal of all SROs from the Binghamton City School District. On Jan. 12, angry activists took to Binghamton City Hall and spoke out against police brutality and discrimination.

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The Binghamton Police Department put the officer involved on desk duty in response to the incident as the investigation goes on. The department has also asked for the public to hand over any information it has on the incident as it works on its own investigation into the matter.

“We are committed to following the facts — as the internal investigation remains open — and to protecting the integrity of the fact-finding process while addressing the Office of Attorney General’s request,” said Mayor Kraham.

Kraham said he urges anyone with information about the incident to share it with Binghamton Police, which can be reached at 607-772-7089.

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