Activists criticize BPD after arrest video circulates

The incident occured on Jan. 1 on State Street, and is currently under investigation.

Hallie Milligan assistant news editor

Circulating videos of a Binghamton Police Department (BPD) officer kneeling on the neck of a Black-Asian man have sparked an investigation. The incident took place outside of Dillinger’s Celtic Bar and Eatery — an Irish pub located on State Street — on Jan. 1 at approximately 3:19 a.m., according to a statement

Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham shared with WBNG

12 News shortly after. Kraham confirmed the incident is currently under investigation, which includes the examination of body cameras.

In a video circulating Facebook, witnesses can be seen gathering around BPD Officer Brad Kaczynski, who is kneeling on the neck and back of 24-year-old Hamail Waddell of Binghamton. Waddell can be seen asking witnesses to “get [their] phones out,” before the video concludes with Waddell stating, “I can’t breathe.” According to a Joint Press Statement from nine separate activist groups — including the Binghamton Tenants Union (BTU), Justice and Unity for the Southern Tier (JUST) and Zero Hour Binghamton — Waddell “sustained injuries to his face, head, neck and back, and required stitches in his chin.” Waddell filed a complaint about the incident on Jan. 2.

Waddell was handcuffed prior to the maneuver under investigation, according to Salka Valerio, a community stakeholder and activist, and was charged on the scene for resisting arrest.

In an open letter written by Valerio, she said Waddell was “unfairly charged with resisting arrest,” and that Kaczynski should be held responsible for the incident.

“We have a shared responsibility for ensuring that every person is treated with humanity and basic dignity,” Valerio wrote. “When someone violates this fundamental value, there must be accountability. Without it, we are saying that actions that intentionally cause harm and put people’s lives at risk are okay.”

In the Joint Press Statement, the activist groups argued that the kneel displayed by Kaczynski reflects the one used on George Floyd in May of 2020 and violates the Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act, which — as the bill reads — “establishes criminal penalties for the use of a chokehold.” The organizations also claim the restraint used on Waddell breaches the BPD Use of Force Policy, which requires officers to only use force that is “objectively reasonable and