While protesting an eviction tied to alleged deed theft, New York City Council member Chi Ossé was arrested.
The incident unfolded Wednesday morning when a demonstration outside of 212 Jefferson Avenue became chaotic, the New York Times reported. The gathering was in support of Carmella Charrington, who is facing eviction from her Bedford-Stuyvesant brownstone.
During the protest, the New York Police Department stepped in and arrested four people, including Ossé, who represents the community. Video shows Ossé being wrestled to the ground before being handcuffed while facedown against the sidewalk.
Ossé and the others were charged with the misdemeanor of obstructing governmental administration, as well as disorderly conduct. He was released later in the day, but vowed to file a report against the arresting officers and went to the hospital to be checked for a concussion.
The police department defended its actions at the protest, which involved around 30 people and devolved into arrests after roughly 90 minutes. In a statement, Mayor Zohran Mamdani referred to “concerning footage” regarding the arrest of Ossé.
The case at the Bedford-Stuyvesant property is more complicated than a typical deed theft case. There is a conservatorship case linked to Charrington’s father, endangering his claim to the property. The conservator sold the home in January 2024 after receiving approval to do so, leading to an eviction case starting six months later.
Charrington spent several days at Rikers Island after being arrested on civil contempt charges. She’s received support from Ossé and housing advocates worried about Black families being displaced by predatory parties.
The New York Attorney General’s office, which reviewed the case, claimed it did not constitute deed theft, but instead was a property dispute.
Deed theft often involves the stealing of a property through fraud, usually by tricking homeowners into signing the home over so the recipient can ostensibly help with financial issues. The problem is growing in gentrifying neighborhoods where property values are escalating.
The city received more than 3,500 deed theft complaints between 2014 and 2023, according to Council members.
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