The Taxi and Limousine Commission says it's investigating a video of TLC inspectors surrounding a taxi driver at Kennedy Airport and appearing to handle him roughly as they arrest him.
The video, which has been making the rounds among taxi drivers, shows four inspectors in plain clothes surrounding the driver and struggling to place him under arrest. One inspector appears to put his arm around the driver's neck, who shouts, "You're hurting me!"
The incident unfolded outside Terminal 8 at JFK last Thursday, just after 6 p.m. Signs in front of the terminal are marked, "No soliciting / No unauthorized pick-up" -- but it's unclear if that's why inspectors were arresting the man.
Darryl Rogers, a driver at JFK, said the takedown looked excessive.
"That's a motor vehicle. You shouldn't have to get roughed up for a motor vehicle," he said.
Hugo Govon said, "They handcuff him, choke him, throw him on the floor -- there's like four people."
It's also unclear what the driver did in the minutes before he was arrested, or why he resisted arrest.
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He said in the video he needed an ambulance, and the inspectors did get him medical attention. Sources say there were no serious injuries.
In addition to the TLC, the Queens district attorney's office says it's aware of the video and investigating.
