The president of the Rochester Police Union this week defended a Rochester Police officer who pepper-sprayed and handcuffed a 9-year-old girl last week.
On Sunday, the Rochester Police Department released disturbing body camera footage of a young girl getting pepper-sprayed even though she had already been handcuffed and placed in the backseat of a police car.
Union president Mike Mazzeo told reporters that pepper spraying the child was the right call for the officers to make at the time. “They were trying to get her into the car, and he made the decision there that he thought was the best action to take,” Mazzeo said. “It resulted in no injury to her.” Mazzeo also said that deploying pepper spray on the girl was the safest way to get her