New York police reportedly kick mother and child out of restaurant over vaccine papers

A viral video shows New York Police Department officers kicking a child and his mother out of a restaurant for not showing their COVID-19 vaccine passports. 

Officers surrounded the booth, and one told the patrons that if they do not have a card, then they "need to leave right now."

The young boy is visibly upset and burrows his face into his mother's stomach before she picks him up. 

Another officer told the family, "Unless you have vaccination cards, you have to exit the restaurant. If you leave voluntarily, you will not have charges pressed against you. Otherwise, you will be arrested for trespass. This will be your only warning."

The video appears to have taken place in a Queens Centre Mall Applebees, but it is unclear what date it took place, Newsweek reported. Vaccine mandate protests took place in the mall recently.

An NYPD spokesperson told Newsweek that several people on Dec. 15 entered the Applebees without masks and would not show their vaccine cards.

"Upon arrival, officers were informed by the manager that individuals entered, refused to prove vaccination status in compliance with NYS Mandate and requested for the individuals to be removed from the location," the official said.

Following the incident, four individuals were arrested and charged with criminal trespass, but the mother and child shown in the video were not arrested, the spokesperson said.

Newsweek asked the department to confirm that the videoed incident took place Dec. 15, but the NYPD did not respond prior to publication.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio instituted a mandate effective Dec. 14 that requires children ages 5 to 11 to provide documents showing one COVID shot to go to restaurants, movies and even "high risk" extracurricular activities. 

Children 12 and above were required as of Dec. 27 to show proof of two doses, The New York Post reports.

New York vaccine mandate protests occurred Monday in a Brooklyn Burger King. Five people were arrested and charged with trespassing and remaining unlawfully inside the fast-food chain.