Councilman Jumaane Williams Arrested During Argument With Cops At West Indian Day Parade

City Councilman Jumaane Williams (left) and Public Advocate de Blasio's Community Affairs Director Kirsten Foy (NBC New York)

City Councilman Jumaane Williams (D-Brooklyn) and Kirsten Foy, Public Advocate de Blasio's Community Affairs Director, were arrested this afternoon after the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn. NBC New York reports that based on witness accounts, "the confusion began when Williams and...Foy...attempted to exit the parade route to attend a luncheon at the Brooklyn Museum. After passing through an initial police checkpoint, Williams and his group were blocked by three police officers from exiting the route." And de Blasio said that Foy was thrown to the ground by cops.

Williams and Foy were headed to a lunch at the Brooklyn Museum. The Post's police sources claim the pair "were detained for walking through a frozen zone for emergency personnel only and were detained only until their identities were confirmed." But de Blasio think that's BS, "It’s outrageous. They had their IDs. It’s unacceptable that this had happened." And Capital New York's Azi Paybarah got an account from Williams' spokesman Stefan Ringel:

Williams and Foy and several others city employees were blocked by a police officer from entering the parade route near the Brooklyn Library, on Eastern Parkway. The officer said the area was "restricted" and that no "civilians" were permitted there.

Williams and Foy then identified themselves and Williams showed his city-issued ID identifying him as a member of the City Council. The office still refused to let them pass. Williams called a police chief to explain the situation.

At that time, the entourage was surrounded by 15 to 25 police officers. At some point, there was a physical altercation, with Foy being tripped and ending up on the ground. (Ringel, who was present, insists neither Williams nor Foy initiated any physical contact with the officers.)

The men were taken away but ultimately released without being charged with anything.

NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said, “A crowd formed and an unknown individual punched a police captain on the scene" and then "were brought across the street and detained there until their identities were established, and then released." But de Blasio told the Post, "I fear that police may have looked at Jumaane, who is a young man with dreadlocks, and not beleived he is a Council member." He added to the NY Times, "It’s broad daylight, they get thrown to the ground, they both get arrested. If that’s what happens to an elected official and a senior appointee, imagine what happens to a general member of the public."

The NYPD is investigating the incident. Mayor Bloomberg nor City Council Speaker Quinn commented. Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries issued a statement, “The unjustified arrest and treatment of Councilman Jumaane Williams is further evidence of the siege mentality the NYPD has unleashed against black men in New York City. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Commissioner Ray Kelly should apologize forthwith and make sure all responsible officers are strongly disciplined. Mayor Bloomberg should end the out of control stop and frisk practices of the NYPD immediately. The procedure unnecessarily targets law-abiding citizens and poisons the relationship between the black community and the police. Enough is enough.'"

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on September 5, 2011 8:35 PM

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Skip

For those of you on both sides of this issue but especially for those who want to justify the treatment of Councilman Williams & Comm. Affairs Dir. Foy because a Police Captain was punched in the face: What are the chances that the very same officers that through Mr. Foy to the ground & handcuffed he & Mr. Williams for being in a restricted area, chose not to arrest the 3rd man that punched a Police Captain in the face? Accordingly the Police are suggesting that 2 Public Officials in a restricted area were more important than a 3rd individual assaulting a Police Captain. Someone appears to be lying here and logic gives us a huge clue. Even if there were a "mystery puncher", this matter could & should have been handled in a much more curteous manner - a call to a supervisor (or the Captain present) or to a known Public Official could have straigtened it out in minutes. In any event detaining them for more than 30 mins. after they presented their ID's can be considered nothing but harrassment.

Guest

Harassment especially of minorities is what NYPD does so well.

Jukwa

Seems like the pigs of the NYPD have not learned from their KARMIC RETURNS of 911, when their ranks were partially cleansed of the racist, sadistic, homosexual, dirty and deadly policemen, who like to shoot Black people UNPROVOKED with more bullets than it would take to stop an elephant, and who sadistically enjoy shoving plunger up the rectum of
INNOCENT Black people.

Keep it up, govement thugs; and more karma will be on the way, hopefully to fix the nasty NYPD once and for all.

Guest

???

Jukwa

Remember 911?
It was partially an act of karma for the overabundance of lying, violence-loving & racist & murderous criminals of the NYPD

Jukwa

NYPD bigots at it again, we see?

Jukwa

Seems like the pigs of the NYPD have not learned from their KARMIC RETURNS of 911, when their ranks were partially cleansed of the racist, sadistic, homosexual, dirty and deadly policemen, who like to shoot Black people UNPROVOKED with more bullets than it would take to stop and elephant, and who sadistically enjoy shoving plunger up the rectum of INNOCENT Black people.

Keep it up, govement thugs; and you will surely earn more karmic returns, hopefully to fix the nasty, racist NYPD once and for all.

cinderella

Im not sure what happened and I didnt read the article but the title think someone else is playing the race card again then again I dont know the story and I know racism still happens .For some reason people always feel they are victim of racism in this kind of situation . so old moving on

Jukwa

Maybe if the 'race card' was invented and perpetuated FOR CENTURIES by the forces of european evils, then there wouldn't be a habit of using said card to this day?

Perry

Is it me, or maybe the cops were just wrong. Maybe the councilman got loud and pissed. Maybe shit got out of hand. Let's be real about this. The WIDP is a shitshow...has been for years. The cops are a little fired up because of this. They have a job to do, keep peace. Unfortunately, cops in this city lack manners. If I was a councilman and some "angry to get this shitty detail" cop got in my face while I was doing something I was suppose to be allowed to do, tempers might flare. The issue really is, once the cops found out who this guy was, they should have let him through. Cops in this town are taught that they are NEVER wrong about anything. That's the part of their training that really needs to change.

Guest

It is because Ray Kelly will never admit that anyone in his Nazi brigade can ever do wrong.

Guest

Since when does a cop (who is nothing more than a city worker) have pull over an elected NYC official? If the NYPD did this to Bloomberg or Quinn, the cops would be looking for a new job today.

Gadea

Next time call Bloomberg & Quinn, instead of 9/11,
see how that works out for you.

Guest

That did not even make any sense.

Gadea

The people that complain the most about the NYPD are the people that need the NYPD the most.
There neighborhoods would look like war zones if it weren't for the NYPD.

AzzTech

Soo the people that need the NYPD the most should not complain when they are bullied by the same NYPD?

Gadea

The people in the hood, are mugged, robbed, assaulted,
intimidated, pushed around, murdered, shot down, killed,
slaughtered by other People in The Hood, on a regular basis.
So if an NYPD officer makes a mistake, they should just grin and
bear it, unless they are prepared to have the NYPD withdraw
from their neighborhoods and leave them to fight it out among
themselves.

ClintJCL

So an elected official, if he is black, is from "the hood". Gotcha. (Fucking idiot)

canofpeas

There were 48 people shot this weekend, including 2 cops, mostly in Brooklyn and mostly around the time of the parade. I'm not surprised NYPD wasn't taking shit from anyone in the vicinity.