WATCH: Mayor Nutter Physically Restrains Homeless Man
![6ABC](https://cdn10.phillymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Screenshot-2015-07-15-06.20.20-e1436955680883.png)
6ABC
Mayor Nutter got into a brief physical confrontation with a homeless man Monday outside the Municipal Services Building across from City Hall — and the incident was recorded on cell phone video by an observer.
The video, obtained and aired by 6ABC, shows a man identified as George Creamer walking in the vicinity of the mayor and some staff members. A member of the mayor’s police protection detail then pushes Creamer as he begins to approach the mayor. Creamer tries to brush the officer off, and the two men get fall to the ground. Nutter is heard on the video telling Creamer: “You need to go.”
Creamer then rolls over on top of the protection officer as the two men wrangle on the ground. That’s where Nutter steps in. The mayor moves close, stoops down and firmly — but not violently — rolls the man off of the security officer.
At that point the officer gets atop Creamer, who is continuing to struggle. The officer appears to place his right hand around the man’s neck. Nutter is leaning over the two men. He says to Creamer: “Stop it. Stop. Stop. Stop.” At that point, another man watching the incident tries to approach, and is pushed by a second security officer. The man gets right next to Nutter, and the mayor says: “Yo. We’re not bothering him …
Creamer is pulled to his feet, and the mayor then gently separates his protection detail from the men who had confronted them.
“We’re good, we’re good,” Nutter says.
Throughout the episode, Nutter appeared to be calm, and his actions measured. He seemed to be trying at each step to defuse the situation.
The men were not detained, or arrested, 6ABC reported. Interviewed later by the station, Creamer said he just wanted to talk to Nutter about what would happen to the homeless who sleep on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway when Pope Francis visits.