11 Arrested, 2 Cops Injured During Violent Black Lives Matter Protest In NYC

New York, NY – A Black Lives Matter rally in Manhattan on Friday night turned violent when protesters attacked police and a New York Daily News photographer.

Police said the Defund the Police protest on Feb. 12 started out peaceful but later got out of control, resulting in the arrests of 11 people, the New York Post reported.

Several of the people who were taken into custody were suspects in an attack on New York Daily News photographer Sam Costanza.

Costanza was beaten by protesters near Sixth Avenue and 54th Street, the New York Post reported.

Law enforcement sources told the New York Post that some of the protesters mistakenly believed that Costanza was a police officer and became violent.

Sources said that one of the protesters recognized Costanza from an earlier protest outside the Sixth Precinct in Greenwich Village in 2020 and thought he was a police officer.

The protester who recognized him yelled out “He’s a cop!” and that incited a group of protesters to surround the photographer, FOX News reported.

Costanza was quickly surrounded by violent protesters who shoved him and beat him with their fists and other objects.

NYPD confirmed that “a member of the media” was assaulted, FOX News reported.

Two police officers also suffered minor injuries in confrontations with protesters.

NYPD arrested a belligerent #BLM protester last night at a violent protest. pic.twitter.com/VbOkd3ZTqc

— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) February 13, 2021

Police arrested six women and four men during the chaos, the New York Post reported.

An NYPD spokeswoman told the New York Post that those 10 people were charged with disorderly conduct, obstructing governmental administration, unlawful assembly, and assault.

Officers issued them desk appearance tickets and then they were released, the New York Post reported.

The NYPD spokeswoman said that officers had also arrested 19-year-old Angel Rivera for attacking police.

Police said Rivera kicked one officer in the foot and then bit a different officer on the thigh, the New York Post reported.

Rivera was taken into custody and charged with two counts of assault on a police officer, two counts of assault, one count of resisting arrest, obstructing governmental justice, and unlawful possession of a noxious matter.