NYPD officers surround BLM protester’s apartment in standoff

Police in New York surrounded a Black Lives Matter organizer’s apartment Friday morning for an imminent arrest before a protest group showed up in his defense, leading to a standoff and causing law enforcement to leave the scene.

Derrick Ingram, 28, began a livestream on Instagram as police in riot gear, police dogs, a helicopter and dozens of vehicles surrounded his apartment, alerting protest groups to come to his defense in Hell’s Kitchen, The New York Times reported.

“What did I do? What did I do?” he said on a livestream posted on Instagram. “I was born Black. That’s what I did.”

A New York Police Department (NYPD) spokeswoman Jessica McRorie told Buzzfeed the NYPD was “attempting to make an apprehension for an assault on a police officer,” declining to offer more details, as the investigation is “active and ongoing.”

The standoff lasted for several hours as Ingram used Zoom and Instagram to speak with lawyers and communicate with those outside his home.

Derrick Ingram, organizer of a group leading New York’s BLM protests, had a 5 hour stand off with police earlier today. Helicopter and dozens of officers, some in riot gear, were deployed for an arrest at his Manhattan apartment, they withdrew after protesters arrived. #protests pic.twitter.com/3IQoPfBp1w

— @SCOOTERCASTER (FNTV) (@ScooterCasterNY) August 8, 2020

At one point, Ingram accused law enforcement of intercepting his phone calls, although the claim is unverified.

Atusa Mozaffari, a lawyer for the Legal Aid Society who was present at the scene, was not part of Ingram’s counsel but said, “This is very clearly a political decision by the NYPD to harass peaceful protesters without a legal means to do so.”

“This is exactly what everyone in New York City should be worried about,” Mozaffari added.

Ingram is a founder of Warriors in the Garden, a group that has led rallies and events around the city since its formation in June.

“This was an attempt to silence our movement. This militarized police response endangers the safety of residents in Hell’s Kitchen and across NYC,” Ingram said in a statement on Friday evening.

“Officers used threats and intimidation tactics on a young man with no criminal history,” the statement added.

He said the officers who came to his door Friday did not produce a warrant. A member of Ingram’s group, Kiara Williams, said the police claimed to have a warrant initially but backtracked and said they were working on authorization when pressed about it.

On 8th ave, Derrick Ingram from Warriors in the Garden and 100 protesters in solidarity are walking to the 18th precinct. Ingram planning to turn himself in #nycprotests pic.twitter.com/nSNXgjruXh

— Juliana 현혜 Kim (@julianahyekim) August 8, 2020

On Saturday, a crowd of protesters with Warriors in the Garden marched with Ingram as he was allegedly on his way to the 18th Precinct to turn himself in to authorities.

The NYPD confirmed to The Hill that Ingram turned himself in at the Midtown North Precinct on Saturday morning with his lawyer present at the scene.

Ingram is facing felony charges of second degree assault, according to a statement.

Authorities were seeking Ingram for an open complaint report on an alleged assault of an officer on June 14, when Ingram reportedly took a megaphone to an officer’s ear, “activated the megaphone and yelled, causing pain and protracted impairment of hearing,” a spokesperson for the department said.

Updated: 11:36 a.m.