A political ally of Democratic New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was thrown to the ground while being arrested on Wednesday, while allegedly obstructing the eviction of a constituent.
Democratic New York City Councilman Chi Ossé was among those attempting to obstruct an eviction in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, The New York Times reported. Ossé and the activists claimed that the person being evicted, Carmella Charrington, was the victim of “deed theft,” which they claim has disproportionately targeted black property owners.
“Council Member Chi Ossé was just arrested while defending his constituent, Carmella Charrington, from eviction,” a statement posted on Ossé’s personal X account read. “This is the result of deed theft and the ongoing displacement of Black homeowners in Bed-Stuy.”
WATCH:
Councilmember @OsseChi was arrested a bit ago while attending a protest against an eviction in Bedstuy.
NYPD officers can be seen tackling him to the ground in this video posted on Instagram: pic.twitter.com/1gRG2a1xUS
— Chris Sommerfeldt (@C_Sommerfeldt) April 22, 2026
“Deed theft,” also known as “title fraud,” occurs when a deed (or title) to property is transferred illegally, often involving the use of forged documents or phony identification, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Video posted by Politico reporter Chris Sommerfeldt appears to show the councilman forcing his way past New York Police Department officers in an effort to obstruct the eviction before being thrown down. The move triggered protesters to begin shouting at officers, “Who do you serve? Who do you protect?”
The video posted on Ossé’s X account omitted the part where he shoved his way past the police.
Council Member Chi Ossé was just arrested while defending his constituent, Carmella Charrington, from eviction. This is the result of deed theft and the ongoing displacement of Black homeowners in Bed-Stuy. Our office is closely monitoring this situation and will provide updates… pic.twitter.com/MsLF97Tkju
— Chi Ossé (@OsseChi) April 22, 2026
Ossé, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America who is challenging Democratic New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries in a primary, said in a follow-up post on X that he was going to a hospital to be checked out after the incident.
“I’m out of custody and being examined at the hospital for injuries incurred during my violent arrest at a counter-deed theft action,” Ossé claimed. “While being a Council Member helped accelerate my booking and release, Vanessa Nunez and Drew Larson remain in custody at the hospital, and Cedric Cheng-Lau remains in custody at the precinct. My office has been in touch with the precinct, and I’m calling for their swift release.”
The office of Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James told the NYT that a review of the case determined that Charrington was not a victim of “deed theft,” and that a conservator for Charrington’s father legally sold the property to 227 Group in 2024.
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