April 23, 2026
Ossé and other protesters claim resident Carmella Charrington, who has lived in the brownstone apartment for decades, was being pushed out because of “deed theft,” defined as a form of fraud that disproportionately impacts Black homeowners.
New York City Council Member Chi Ossé was among five arrested by New York Police Department (NYPD) officers on April 22 during a planned eviction protest for one of his Brooklyn constituents, Politico reports.
Ossé posted a video of his arrest on X, calling it a “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 as this develops,” the elected official said.
According to AM New York, Ossé and protestors were attempting to block access to a 212 Jefferson Ave property in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, where city marshals were instructed to execute an eviction. Protesters claim resident Carmella Charrington, who has lived in the brownstone apartment for decades, was being pushed out because of “deed theft,” defined as a form of fraud that disproportionately impacts Black homeowners.
As a result, ownership is illegally transferred to a third party without consent.
Ossé can be heard asking in a video, “What are you doing?” while approaching officers arresting a fellow demonstrator. After a brief back-and-forth exchange, an officer was seen grabbing Ossé’s jacket collar and shoving him to the ground before placing him in cuffs. That’s when a protester stepped in to defend him. “Motherfucker, that’s a Councilmember, what the f*** are you doing?” the protester can be heard shouting.
“You’re going to be all over the national news tonight.”
The councilman was released from a local precinct after being charged with one count of obstructing governmental administration and two counts of disorderly conduct. Once released, he mentioned being sore and feeling bouts of dizziness after being “manhandled” and “slammed” against the ground by the NYPD’s finest. “I will absolutely be filing a misconduct report against the officers who slammed me on the ground,” he said after being released.
“I urge the other folks who were taken into captivity to do the same.”
The video, which State Attorney General Letitia James called “disturbing,” is adding pressure to Gov. Kathy Hochul to pause evictions in suspected deed-theft cases such as the one involving the ongoing Carrington dispute. Reports from The City give a detailed account of the dispute, dating back to 2021, with a company called Brooklyn Gates LLC.
In 2024, another company, 227 Group LLC, purchased the home for $1.4 million from several alleged family members as part of the estate of the former owner. In a statement from 227 Group LLC, the company called the deed theft allegation “unequivocally false” and said the 2024 purchase was an all-cash transaction with title insurance.
However, after watching the protest and arrest, Carrington said she feels like she’s in Get Out, referring to the 2017 Jordan Peele film. “It’d be devastating. It’s four generations of irreparable harm,” the resident said about the potential eviction from the property.
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