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Mayor Mamdani calls violent NYPD arrest in Gowanus ‘unacceptable’
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Apr 20, 2026
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Marika Hacking/Gothamist
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Apr 20, 2026
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday condemned the NYPD’s violent arrest in Brooklyn of a man mistaken for a drug dealer, calling it “not only incredibly disturbing, but also unacceptable.”
“We have to understand that New Yorkers expect us to deliver safety and justice hand in hand, and for a long time, they've been told as if they have to choose between the two,” Mamdani told WNYC’s Brigid Bergin.
The mayor spoke during an hour-long interview at the Jerome L. Greene Performance Space in Lower Manhattan that touched on a range of topics, including the influence of former Mayor Fiorello La Guardia.
Policing has been a sensitive issue for Mamdani, who has been measured in his criticism of the NYPD after protesting their tactics as a state lawmaker.
Last week’s arrest in Gowanus, which was caught on video, showed the officers beating the man for nearly two minutes. The two officers have since been stripped of their firearms and placed on modified duty as they face an internal investigation for police misconduct.
Residents in the neighborhood raised concerns about a troubling pattern of aggressive policing practices in a gentrifying section of Brooklyn.
Mamdani said he intended to share the steps his administration will take “to ensure that not only does this not happen again to this New Yorker, but that it does not happen again period.”
The mayor last month announced a Mayoral Office of Community Safety, a scaled-back version of a key campaign promise. The office will be headed by the city’s first-ever deputy mayor of community safety, Renita Francois.
He said the office would take a holistic approach to public safety involving many city agencies, including the NYPD.
“It's going to take the tapestry of approaches that New York City has taken, but oftentimes disparately, and actually bringing them together,” Mamdani said.
The mayor also spoke at the event about the beating and fatal shooting of a 15-year-old in Queens. The boy, who police identified as Jaden Pierre of South Richmond Hill, is at least the seventh teen to die of gun violence in the city so far this year, according to an analysis by Gothamist.
Former Mayor Eric Adams shared a video of the incident last week. He criticized Mamdani for not having commented.
Mamdani declined to respond to the former mayor, who has remained an outspoken political adversary. But he extended his condolences to the family of the teen and said he was committed to ending gun violence.
The NYPD recently announced a record-low number of murders and shooting incidents in the first three months.
“No matter how many statistics I can rattle off to you about what this first quarter has looked like, we still see acts of violence of this nature,” he said.
Tagged
Politics
brooklyn
public safety
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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