Another day and another disturbing video emerges on Twitter of a confrontation between police officers and, this time, a homeless woman.

Police are seen handcuffing and apprehending a homeless woman in the Jamaica Center subway station. NY1 was told she had mental health issues.

The video was posted to Twitter on Friday morning and sparked outrage soon after.

Standing in the background, watching the police, is the head of the city's public hospital system, Dr. Mitchell Katz. He is later heard explaining the situation to the person taking the amateur video. "The goal is to get her to a hospital," said the president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals.

"I would have so much wished she would have just come with us. I would have so much wished that there was a different way," Katz said. "But at some point, I either believe she needs treatments or not."

Later on Friday, Katz sat down with NY1 exclusively to discuss what happened. It was unclear why Katz was there, but he said the woman was a patient of his hospital system and refused to come in.

"At that point, she was still not willing the only alternative was to abandon her," Katz told me. "I do not think to abandon people with serious mental illness to be homeless in the subway, no bathroom facilities, is the appropriate response for a compassionate society."

The police and Katz were acting under a legal statute that allows officials to apprehend individuals, especially the homeless, with serious mental health issues for psychiatric evaluations.

Data from the city shows it is not something used very often, just 17 times last year. Data was not available for 2019.

It's a disturbing process. Katz could not tell NY1 the specifics of this case.

"The officer who was there tried every possible way to calmly talk to her. He used a soft voice," Katz said when asked if the NYPD acted appropriately. "He did his best to try to guide her."

In response to this video, one homeless advocacy organization called it dehumanizing and traumatizing.

Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted about it, saying these videos are painful for anyone to watch, but "we have a moral obligation to help people get the care they need."

 

------

Main story image above courtesy of NarvinASingh/Twitter.

------

Looking for an easy way to learn about the issues affecting New York City?

Listen to our "Off Topic/On Politics" podcast: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | iHeartRadio | Stitcher | RSS