A large group of roughly 200 anti-ICE demonstrators swarmed Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn late Saturday, setting off a tense and chaotic confrontation with police that ultimately led to nine arrests, according to authorities, the New York Post reports.
Police said they were called to the scene around 10:25 p.m. after protesters began gathering outside the Bushwick hospital, blocking entrances and exits and disrupting access for emergency vehicles. Officers instructed the crowd to move back onto the sidewalk and clear the area, but the situation quickly escalated into a prolonged standoff.
The protest was sparked by reports that federal immigration agents had brought a detainee to the hospital for treatment. That individual was later identified by the Department of Homeland Security as Chidozie Wilson Okeke, a Nigerian national accused of overstaying a tourist visa issued in 2023. Officials said his visa expired in February 2024 and that he also had prior arrests for assault and drug possession.
According to DHS, Okeke was taken into custody earlier that day after allegedly attempting to use his car to strike ICE officers. Authorities said he resisted arrest, refusing orders to exit the vehicle and becoming physically combative by throwing punches and elbows. Agents said they used minimal force to detain him. Afterward, Okeke reportedly requested medical attention and was transported to the hospital.
Inside the facility, officials said he refused to cooperate with medical staff, at one point dropping to the floor and shouting. He was eventually evaluated and cleared by hospital personnel.
Outside, videos circulating online captured a chaotic scene, with demonstrators shouting at officers, hurling debris into the streets, and attempting to block traffic. According to The Post, in one incident, a protester who threw garbage at a passing vehicle unrelated to the ICE operation was immediately arrested. Another confrontation escalated into a physical clash, with officers and protesters shoving and grappling.
The situation reached a peak in the early hours of Sunday when ICE agents exited the hospital with Okeke around 2 a.m. Authorities said agents used pepper spray to disperse parts of the crowd before driving away in an SUV. Police reported that the crowd began to disperse shortly afterward, with the scene clearing by approximately 2:45 a.m.
Officials emphasized that the NYPD was not involved in the federal immigration operation itself. “We had no prior knowledge, involvement or coordination with this ICE operation,” the Police Department rep said., noting officers responded solely to emergency calls about the growing crowd. New York City’s sanctuary policies limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement on civil matters.
Still, some witnesses accused police of effectively assisting ICE by clearing a path for agents to leave with the detainee.
Nine individuals were arrested during the unrest and charged with offenses including resisting arrest, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, and obstructing governmental administration. Several cases were still pending arraignment.
Among those charged were Sharon Fresystaetter, 25, of Brooklyn who was accused of resisting arrest. Fresystaetter was described by authorities as throwing trash into the street, forcing vehicles to stop, and at one point climbing onto a police car. During her court appearance Sunday, a judge indicated her case could be dismissed if she avoids further trouble for six months. She later embraced supporters and became emotional outside the courtroom.
Court documents allege Chloe Sells, 32, of Brooklyn was charged with criminal mischief. Sells reportedly struck the rear window of a marked NYPD vehicle and placed a “used sanitary pad” on it.
Law enforcement sources said the presence of officers helped prevent the situation from spiraling further. “If the NYPD wasn’t there to keep the peace, God knows what these ICE agents would have done,” a law-enforcement source told The Post, noting the size of the crowd and the unrest that ensued.