On Sunday, April 12, around 2:30am, upon leaving a fundraising party for Rising Tide NYC (a grassroots, all-volunteer collective dedicated to taking direct action to confront the root causes of climate change), Talal Ahmad and I, Daniel Ismael Aguilar, were confronted and unlawfully detained by NYPD officers in an apparent “stop and frisk” action.

Both of us have been active in anti-police brutality/pro-Black activism since the murder of Mike Brown.

As we approached the corner of Lefferts Place and Classon Ave in Brooklyn, NYC, a marked NYPD squad car abruptly stopped in front of us. Two officers proceeded to ask for my identification.

Since I knew that I was not in violation of any laws and that the police had no probable cause to stop and frisk me and ask me for identification, I merely asked the officers to tell me the legal justification for this interrogation.

Within about 30 or so seconds, the officers put handcuffs on me, even though I told them that I had an ID in my pocket. They refused to allow me to show my identification, and proceeded to unlawfully detain me for allegedly "refusing to identify myself," as can be seen in the footage above.

The officers pulled me into the car, by the cuffs that were on my wrists, and proceeded to twist my arms nearly over my head. They also slammed my head and body into the inside walls of the police vehicle. I also received two to three blows to my back during the violent arrest inside of the police car.

I repeatedly asked the officers to tell me the exact charges that were being put against me; yet, they ignored my pleas.

Upon arriving at the 79th Precinct station, officers violently transported me out of the vehicle and into the station. One officer yelled, “Come here!” and proceeded to grab my right hand with excessive force, as he violently squeezed the cuffs and twisted my wrists for what felt like a 360 or more degree turn.

I dropped to my knees in pain.

I was subsequently charged with allegedly “consuming alcohol in public,” (ed. note: One of the most common unsubstantiated municipal fines used by police departments to both flex power on citizens and raise money for city funds) despite the fact that no evidence exists to support these charges.

Upon my release from the precinct, I admitted myself into the urgent care unit at Woodhull Hospital, where my injuries have been well documented.

Above is footage of my arrest, along with footage of Talal’s arrest who is still being held by the NYPD. Talal is being charged merely for demanding a reason for my arrest.

While under the custody of the NYPD, Talal was admitted into the urgent care unit at Woodhull Hospital. In the urgent care unit, he communicated to me that he has sustained injuries to his wrist and back.

written by @TatteredRose1