SHOW OF FORCE

Dozens of NYPD Cops Surround BLM Activist’s Home, Sparking Standoff With Protesters

In a livestream of the tense encounter, Derrick Ingram asked, “What did I do? What did I do? I was born Black. That’s what I did.”

New York City Police showed up on Friday to the Hell’s Kitchen home of a Black Lives Matter activist with two dozen cop cars, guard dogs, and a helicopter. They did not have a warrant to arrest Derrick Ingram, who livestreamed the encounter to Instagram. His fellow activists protested the show of force down the street. Officers rapped on Ingram’s door, but he declined to allow them into his home. They departed without arresting him. In the livestream, Ingram said, “What did I do? What did I do? I was born Black. That’s what I did,” according to The New York Times. A police spokesperson told the Times officers were planning to arrest Ingram for assaulting an officer. The NYPD has faced criticism for its response to recent protests, in particular the clandestine arrest of an 18-year-old transgender woman last week.