The National Police Association is calling for bystanders to step in and help if they see an officer being assaulted rather than film it for 'likes and attention,' as more than 50,000 officers have been attacked this year alone.
'This year, over 50,000 law enforcement officers have been assaulted while on duty,' Mark Solan, a National Law Enforcement Expert, says in a video. 'The vast number of these attacks were filmed and uploaded to social media in the pursuit of likes and attention.'
Just this week in New York City, a police officer was seen being attacked by a man who tried to choke him while the two tussled on the floor in a Brooklyn Target store - while an looker filmed it and then posted it online.
The association is now offering three 'simple steps' for bystanders to follow to help officers in distress.
The first step is to 'call 911 and give the officers your exact location.'
After that, bystanders are instructed to offer the officer help. If accepted, bystanders are to 'do whatever you can to safely help.' If declined, then witnesses can start to film the interaction, according to the association.
The association claimed bystanders filmed the assaults for 'likes and attention'
The National Police Association is calling on bystanders to stop filming officers being assaulted and instead step in and help. The association has offered three 'simple steps' to help offers, including calling 911 and offering assistance
The advertisement included snippets of several officers being thrown to the ground, including one of a New York City cop being thrown so hard to the ground that he rolled off the subway platform onto the tracks.
It also showed several bystanders cheering while they filmed multiple interactions.
Along with the tweet airing the advertisement, the National Police Association shared a video from the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York (NYC PBA) that showed the incident of a police officer and Target shopper wrestling on the floor.
The National Police Association also shared a Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York tweet showing an NYPD officer wrestling with a Target shopper
At one point the officer appeared to be choked
Although the video has no sound, the video shows a police officer being held