‘What Are You Doing?!’: Video Shows Black NYC Councilman Being Thrown to the Ground By Cops While Protesting Elderly Woman’s Eviction After Deed Theft
A New York City councilman was thrown to the ground and arrested while he was protesting an elderly constituent’s eviction from her home, resulting from deed theft.
Video footage shows the moments NYPD officers forcefully wrestle Brooklyn Council Member Chi Ossé to the ground and handcuff him on April 22.
In a statement, Ossé wrote that he was working to defend his constituent, Carmilla Charrington, against a planned eviction from a Bedford Stuyvesant home she has lived in for six decades.
The footage shows Ossé trying to block city marshals from accessing the property to execute the eviction.
While Ossé is seen confronting one cop, another officer is seen grabbing him from behind and throwing him to the ground. Multiple officers surround Ossé, cuff him, and escort him to a police vehicle as bystanders loudly protest his arrest.
“That is a council member,” one person is heard telling the cops.
“What are you doing?!” another onlooker yells.
An NYPD spokesperson told Politico that Ossé is being charged with one count of obstructing governmental administration and two counts of disorderly conduct.
He was one of several protesters who were arrested after refusing to comply with verbal orders from police at the scene to disperse.
Ossé, who represents New York City’s 36th District covering Bed-Stuy and North Crown Heights, has taken to social media over the last week to draw attention to Charrington’s deed theft case.
Deed theft is a form of fraud in which a thief illegally transfers the deed or title of a home to themselves or a third party without the homeowner’s knowledge.
According to WABC, Charrington’s family has owned her home in BedStuy since the 1940s and has been fighting in court for a year to maintain ownership.
Ossé says these cases disproportionately impact Black New Yorkers. He says he has repeatedly asked New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to approve an eviction moratorium for residents dealing with pending deed theft cases and struggling to find legal representation.
“These protections are the bare minimum, and families cannot wait any longer. Not another Black homeowner should have their home stolen,” Ossé’s statement said. “Until deed theft ends, we will fight every single day.”
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a close ally of Ossé, said he hadn’t seen the video of Ossé’s arrest but called the situation “incredibly concerning.”
“That’s exactly something that we’re going to follow up on, not just on the nature of this arrest, but also what was the underlying issue that was being protested,” Mamdani said. “I know he’s been on the front lines of fighting deed theft. It’s especially prevalent in his Council district, and I appreciate, frankly, the efforts that he’s led in the past on ensuring that this is front of mind for all of us.”
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin wrote in a statement on X that the council is in touch with Ossé’s office and the NYPD to ensure his safety and quick release from jail.
“I’ve just seen the concerning videos of my colleague @CMChiOsse being aggressively pushed to the ground and arrested during a protest, where he was standing up for one of his constituents facing deed theft,” Menin wrote.