Brooklyn Councilmember Files Complaint Over Police Misconduct

BROOKLYN, NY— New York City Councilmember Chi Ossé filed a misconduct complaint against the NYPD officer who arrested him during a Brooklyn protest over an eviction tied to alleged deed theft, escalating tensions between City Hall and police leadership.

The complaint, filed with the Civilian Complaint Review Board, accuses Officer Ahmed Zaitoun of using excessive force during the April 22 arrest in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Ossé told POLITICO he believed the officer violated his civil rights after officers took him to the ground while protesters tried to block city marshals and police from entering the property.

“My rights were violated, but more importantly, my responsibility to my community and constituents demands a fact-finding,” Ossé said.

Ossé said he suffered a concussion during the arrest.

The CCRB confirmed it received the complaint and is reviewing the case.

Video posted to social media showed protesters crowding the entrance to the property as marshals prepared to carry out the eviction. Ossé moved toward officers as they detained another demonstrator. An officer grabbed Ossé by the collar of his jacket, forced him to the ground and handcuffed him.

Police transported Ossé to the 79th Precinct, where officers charged him with disorderly conduct and obstructing governmental administration before releasing him with a desk appearance ticket.

The NYPD declined to comment on the complaint. The department previously said officers arrested Ossé and three other protesters after they refused repeated orders to stop blocking access to the property.

A spokesperson for Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the administration would allow the disciplinary process to proceed through the CCRB and the department’s disciplinary matrix.

Mamdani called footage of the arrest “incredibly concerning” last month.

The complaint places Mamdani, a longtime critic of the NYPD, in the middle of a politically charged dispute involving allies on the left and police leadership, including Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association, defended the officer’s actions and criticized the CCRB.

“This officer was clearly acting within the law and NYPD guidelines when effecting the arrest, but none of that matters to CCRB,” Hendry said. “Their goal is to drive police officers away from this job.”

Personnel records show Zaitoun joined the NYPD in October 2022. CCRB records show the officer faced two previous excessive force complaints in 2024. Investigators ruled both allegations unfounded.

The protest centered on a woman who claimed she was the victim of deed theft at the Bedford-Stuyvesant property. After Ossé’s arrest, the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James said investigators found no evidence of deed theft connected to the property.

The arrest drew criticism beyond Ossé’s political allies.

City Council Speaker Julie Menin appeared outside the precinct where officers took Ossé after his arrest and condemned the confrontation.

“When I saw the video, it’s obviously of deep, deep concern,” Menin said. “He was thrown to the ground, and as you heard from him directly, he sustained some injuries. That is not acceptable. He was peacefully protesting.”