Video Of Father Ellis Smith Being Put Into A Choke Hold And Arrested While Holding Infant Daughter Goes Viral, Prompts Police Investigation

A video that was captured on a Philadelphia subway has quickly gone viral and has many of the video’s viewers up in arms. The video, which was shot by subway passenger Ahmad Najam, shows another passenger, who is holding his daughter — no more than 2-years-old — in an argument with Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) police officers.

After a few minutes of arguing with the officers, a surveillance video obtained by 6 ABC shows the passenger — who has been identified as 20-year-old Ellis Smith — put in a choke hold by an officer and thrown against the wall of the train while still holding his daughter.

The reason for the use of excessive force in arresting the Ellis Smith while he clutched his young daughter to his chest? Smith allegedly didn’t pay his $2.25 fare.

“It was frustrating to watch,” Najam said, “The guy was saying ‘cite me right here. I’ve got things to do.’ That’s not acceptable. I think excessive force was used for a $2.25 fare.”

Najam said other passengers even offered to pay the fare for Ellis Smith just to stop the confrontation. Officers got one handcuff on Smith and wrestled him out of the train and onto the platform, where they took his daughter from his hands, handed her to another subway passenger, and placed the other handcuff on him. Ellis Smith was then arrested.

Now, an internal affairs investigation is in progress, says SEPTA police chief Thomas Nestel.

On the subject of the officer placing Ellis in a choke hold, Nestel commented, “We don’t teach people to grab persons by the throat.”

When the officer in question — who hasn’t been named, but is reportedly a 16-year veteran — was asked why he didn’t just let the situation go, given that a child was involved and was potentially in danger, the officer allegedly stated that he feared he’d be disciplined for failing to cite Smith.

“If a 16-year officer thinks they can’t step away from a situation that’s spiraling into something that might jeopardize the safety of a child, that’s on me,” Nestel said, “That’s a failure on my part. I never want a child’s safety to be jeopardized. We don’t want to be rolling around on a platform with every person we arrest for fare evasion.”

Ellis Smith has been cited for fare evasion, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct. The child was returned safely to her mother following her father’s arrest.

Do you feel the officer was within his rights, or was his use of force on Ellis Smith unjustified, especially while the father held his daughter? Watch Najam’s video of the confrontation below, and share your opinions in the comments.

[Image Credit: 6ABC]