Chi Ossé arrested after protesting deed theft

New York City Council Member Chi Ossé took aim at Gov. Kathy Hochul after he was arrested outside the home of a constituent facing eviction Wednesday. The democratic socialist council member was already popular and already maintained a larger-than-life presence on social media, and Wednesday’s arrest only served to further boost his advocacy to prevent deed theft. 

Ossé showed up along with progressive activists to stop New York City Marshals from entering the home of Carmella Charrington, who was also arrested last week as she resists eviction from her family’s brownstone on Jefferson Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Charrington remained on Rikers Island until Tuesday. The New York City Police Department arrived at 8 a.m. to manage the protest, an NYPD spokesperson said. In an altercation after 9:30 a.m. captured on video, multiple police officers forced Ossé to the ground and surrounded him, handcuffed him and then took him to the 79th precinct to be processed.

Council Member Chi Ossé was just arrested while defending his constituent, Carmella Charrington, from eviction. This is the 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… pic.twitter.com/MsLF97Tkju

— Chi Ossé (@OsseChi) April 22, 2026

Ossé was one of four people arrested and charged with obstruction of governmental administration and disorderly conduct, according to the police department spokesperson. While he was detained, Ossé’s X account called for supporters to gather: “We encourage you to show up to the precinct to call for (Ossé’s) release and support the Black homeowners whose homes are being stolen through deed theft,” the statement read.  

After he was released at approximately 12:30 p.m., Ossé said he has been trying to protect constituents, but is limited in his authority as a City Council member. “I went up to Albany two months ago after working with the People's Coalition to Stop Deed Theft to pressure the governor to do right by the people of New York and do right by Black homeowners in keeping them in their homes,” he said. “The governor bailed on our meeting.” 

Jen Goodman, a spokesperson for the governor, said Ossé met with the governor’s housing team and that Hochul was never expected to attend that meeting. She said in a statement that the governor was relieved Ossé was released and called him a “strong advocate for his community.” “The Governor has proposed $40 million for the Homeowner Protection Program and enacted strong protections to crack down on illegal deed theft,” Goodman wrote. “Ensuring New Yorkers can stay in their homes remains a top priority, and the Governor will continue working with Council Member Ossé on these efforts.”

Deed theft, which describes the criminal taking of ownership of a home through fraud or forgery without the consent of the true owner, is a priority for Ossé. Homeowners who are in foreclosure or who have not officially passed their property on to their heirs are particularly vulnerable to deed theft. Ossé said it has particularly impacted longtime Black homeowners in his Central Brooklyn district, where housing prices have risen rapidly over the last two decades. As City & State first reported, he’s working with Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration on an initiative to address it. 

Attorney General Letitia James’ office investigated Charrington’s case at her request last year. A spokesperson for the attorney general said Charrington’s eviction resulted from the sale of her father’s home by a court-appointed conservator and the heirs of her father’s co-owner. The attorney general’s office said while they have worked to support Charrington, they don’t classify the situation as deed theft, calling it a property dispute. The news outlet The City reported that the property had previously drawn interest from a group of speculators known for swooping in and taking over Brooklyn properties in gentrifying neighborhoods.

Ossé said his face was sore, and he felt “a little loopy and dizzy” after being manhandled by the cops. He said he would be filing a misconduct complaint. City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who sped over to the police precinct to support Ossé Wednesday, said she had spoken with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch about the incident. Menin called the video of the arrest a “deep, deep concern.” Council Members Sandy Nurse, Tiffany Cabán, Lincoln Restler and Shahana Hanif also showed up to support Ossé. Asked about Ossé’s arrest at an unrelated press conference, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he hadn’t seen the video, but that "The council member is rightly passionate about tackling the scourge of deed theft.”