Utica Police Respond To Fire Scene Video

Utica Police are responding to a video that was taken at an active fire scene on South Street in which a UPD officer can be seen shoving a man to the ground.

Police say the man who was removed from the secured area inside of the police tape at the fire scene is the owner of the building which had been on fire.

They say the officer was attempting to assist the Utica Fire Marshall and prevent the highly emotional individual from interfering with the investigation, and to keep him away from a dangerous situation.

In a statement, police say it is important for the public to remember that in addition to what is captured on video, several other factors need to be considered such as what occurred prior to what is captured on video as well as an individual's emotional status, response to commands, and the responsibility of our officers to maintain the integrity of a potential crime scene and to keep everyone involved safe.

As with any response to resistance that their officers are involved in, the Utica Police Department says it will conduct a full investigation into the incident.