Footage out of New York City shows police escorting a mother out of the subway system, before they throw her on the ground in full view of her child – all because she wasn’t properly wearing a face mask.

The video surfaced Wednesday and shows NYPD and Metropolitan Transportation Authority officers walking a confrontational Kaleemah Rozier, 22, out of the subway system with her child in tow.

At one point the mother says something that prompts an officer to take her down, as other officers join the melee.

A witness can be heard yelling at cops, “She’s got a kid,” and “That’s too much, man.”

An NYC journalist reporting on the altercation described, “Mom placed in handcuffs after altercation with #NYPD & #MTA over not fully wearing her mask in #Brooklyn #NYCSubway station.”

“Police say woman wouldn’t listen, but wasn’t arrested and charged, rather taken out of station,” he added.

Meanwhile, the woman’s child is seen standing by watching the assault unfold before her eyes.

In a statement to Newsweek, an NYPD spokesperson confirmed the incident was rooted in her not wearing the mask properly and the assault was prompted by her using obscene language toward the officers.

“She responded to the officers with vulgar language and repeatedly refused requests to properly wear her face covering over her nose and mouth,” the spokesperson told Newsweek. “Officers then informed her she would be ejected from the station and began to escort her from the location.”

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At some point, the spokesperson said, officers told the mother: “Do not do this in front of your kid ma’am.”

“The woman then waved her arms and struck an officer with her hand,” the spokesperson said. “As a result of these actions, she was taken into custody and placed under arrest.”

Rozier was charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and harassment, the spokesperson said. She has since been “released on a Desk Appearance Ticket.”

The NYPD has insisted that Rozier’s “behavior towards officers warranted police action.”

The surreal incident also got the attention of NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, who weighed in saying, “Face coverings are important to protect everybody — they’re not optional.”

“But no one wants to see an interaction turn into this,” de Blasio added.

Anecdotal evidence suggests many people who wear masks to protect against coronavirus are discarding them as litter on the street and countryside with little regard for safe disposal.

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