200 anti-ICE protesters blocked emergency entrances and exits to a Brooklyn hospital
Abu Sabet: A mob of about 200 anti-ICE protesters blocked emergency entrances and exits to a Brooklyn hospital Saturday night in a chaotic caught-on-video clash with cops that ended in nine arrests, cops said.
The out-of-control activists descended on the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Bushwick when they got wind that federal immigration agents were in the neighborhood and had taken a man in their custody to the hospital for medical attention. The unruly protesters quickly flooded the streets in front of and around the hospital to try to block the ICE agents from eventually leaving with the man — illegal Nigerian migrant Chidozie Wilson Okeke, who was previously arrested for assault and drug posession, according to the US Department of Homeland Security.
“They were blocking hospital entrances and exits, so emergency vehicles would have trouble coming in and out,’’ an NYPD rep said. In one instance, a small scuffle between a police officer and a protester turned into a massive brawl, with cops and demonstrators tackling and swinging at each other.
The chaos came to its peak when ICE agents left the hospital with Okeke around 2 a.m. Sunday, dousing some protesters with pepper spray and speeding away in an SUV. The feds said Okeke entered the US on a tourist visa in 2023 but stayed beyond his required departure date of Feb. 26, 2024. He had assault and drug busts on his record before his arrest over the weekend.
A rep for DHS told The Post that the illegal migrant was stopped by federal agents Saturday and tried to run them over with his car.
“During his arrest, Okeke refused to comply with officers’ lawful commands to exit the vehicle and weaponized his vehicle to attempt to hit ICE officers,” the representative said.
“Okeke became physically combative, attempting to punch and elbow ICE officers. Our officers followed their training and used the minimum amount of force necessary to make the arrest.” The illegal migrant then said he needed medical attention, so the agents transported Okeke to the hospital, DHS said.
There, he refused to cooperate with a medical exam, instead throwing himself on the floor and screaming, the agency said.
The medical staff eventually cleared him of any issues.
The agents left the hospital with Okeke around 2:45 a.m., with the protesters and cops then dispersing, police said.
“If the NYPD wasn’t there to keep the peace, God knows what these ICE agents would have done,” given the size of the mob and unrest, a law-enforcement source told The Post.
Nine people were taken into custody and charged with raps such as resisting arrest, criminal mischief and obstructing governmental administration, the NYPD said. Some of their arraignments were still pending.
Three demonstrators were charged with resisting arrest: Sharon Fresystaetter, 25, of Brooklyn, Cameron Toy, 26, of Queens and Presleigh Hayashida, 30, of Wyoming, police said.
The pink-haired Fresystaetter appeared before a judge Sunday evening looking sullen and in disarray, wearing an oversized shirt, baggy jeans and high-top Converse sneakers without laces.
Authorities said she threw trash into the street during the mayhem, “causing vehicles to abruptly stop” — and was spotted at one point on the hood of a police car.
“If you stay out of trouble for six months, this case will be dismissed,” the judge told her.
The defendant ran over to about five supporters after her arraignment and cried as they hugged her.
In Toy’s case, the prosecutor asked that the charge be dropped against him, and the judge agreed, and he was released.
Chloe Sells, 32, of Brooklyn was charged with criminal mischief, Caswell Parker, 26, of New Hampshire was charged with reckless endangerment, and two others, Jennifer Hansen, 34, and Ethan Ora, 28, both of Brooklyn, were charged with obstructing governmental administration.
Sells is accused of punching the back window of a marked NYPD car with her fist — and putting a “used sanitary pad” on it, according to court p apers.
Hansen allegedly smashed the rear window of an ICE vehicle with her fist, then attempted to flee and resisted arrest, court documents show.
Max Lewis Sheiner was issued a summons for disorderly conduct, while charges against the final busted protester, Tomas Laster of Brooklyn, were not immediately available.
Witnesses claimed that the NYPD was illegally working with ICE by clearing a path for the agents to drive off with their person in custody.
New York’s liberal “sanctuary city’’ policy limits the NYPD’s cooperation with federal immigration agencies such as ICE on civil deportation enforcement operations.
The NYPD said its officers legally responded to the scene after 911 calls about the crowd.
“We had no prior knowledge, involvement or coordination with this ICE operation,” the Police Department rep said.
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