Several dozen New Yorkers were issued summonses Saturday after the NYPD dispatched 1,000 officials to enforce social distancing throughout the city's five boroughs.
NYPD Commissioner Shea said the department arrested three people and issued 51 summonses, the majority given for violating social distancing orders.
The arrests were made in the East Village after officers tried to enforce social distancing, Commissioner Shea said.
Shea added, when questioned by reporters Sunday, that one officer had been placed on modified duty amid an internal investigation. The incident was captured on video in which an officer was seen pointing a Taser at bystanders.
Warm temperatures brought thousands outside across the city on Saturday, with images of crowded parks circulating across social media.
Officers were scattered across the city to enforce social distancing as well as distribute thousands of masks, which people are required to wear when social distancing is not possible.
Shea and Mayor Bill de Blasio repeated a united message Sunday: any gathering would not be allowed and enforcement would be uniform in all communities.
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"My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed. I have instructed the NYPD to proceed immediately to summons or even arrest those who gather in large groups. This is about stopping this disease and saving lives. Period," de Blasio said.
