NYPD officer appears to pepper spray himself while trying to break up pro-Gaza protest

Police officer seemingly deployed pepper spray into his eyes while trying to break up protests on the Manhattan Bridge

James McCarthy, NYPD assistant chief, is assisted after seemingly being affected by a chemical irritant as police arrest pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocking traffic on the Manhattan Bridge (Getty Images)

A high-ranking New York Police Department (NYPD) officer seemed to accidentally deploy pepper spray in his face while trying to break up a pro-Palestinian protest on the Manhattan Bridge this weekend.

On Saturday more than 100 rally-goers took to the bridge for a day of action ahead of the 76th anniversary of Nakba – when more than half of the Palestinian population was displaced during the 1948 establishment of Israel.

Videos taken during the protest on Saturday showed James McCarthy, NYPD assistant chief, trying to break up some of the protesters, eventually reaching for his pepper spray. Seconds after looking down at the pepper spray canister, Mr McCarthy shuts his eyes and turns his face away.

Several NYPD officers came to Mr McCarthy’s aid. Photos showed them pouring bottled water on his eyes to flush the chemical irritant.

Later, an unnamed member of the NYPD told CBS News that “someone” pepper sprayed Mr McCarthy. It is unclear if the assistant chief sustained any major injuries from the incident.

The Independent has reached out to the NYPD for comment.

James McCarthy, NYPD assistant chief, is assisted after seemingly being affected by a chemical irritant as police arrest pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocking traffic on the Manhattan Bridge (Getty Images)

More than 100 people were arrested on Saturday for “intentionally” blocking traffic on the bridge, the NYPD deputy commissioner of operations said in a statement on X.

“More than an inconvenience, this is a public safety hazard,” Kaz Daughtry wrote.

The recent arrests add to the growing number of individuals detained for protesting the war in Gaza. This past month hundreds of people on college campuses in New York and across the United States were arrested for setting up protest encampments.

More than 34,000 Palestinians have died as a result of Israel’s war in Gaza, which was sparked by Hamas’ attack on October 7, in which at least 1,130 people were killed and approximately 250 were taken hostage.