New York Candidate Calls for Police Commissioner to Resign After ICE Shooting

Politics28 sourcesOct 9, 2026

Leans leftFactual rigor 62/100

The Story

Darializa Avila Chevalier, a House Democratic candidate, calls for New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to step down following an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shooting a man in Marble Hill on Thursday.

Avila Chevalier, who participated in an anti-ICE protest, states NYPD officers rapidly escalated violence, and she was shoved to the ground. She claims NYPD protected a militia that just shot someone and violated sanctuary city policies. ICE agents shot Oscar Belgal, 28, in the neck around 4 p.m. in the Marble Hill neighborhood. A 5-year-old child was in Belgal's car but was unharmed.

Senior ICE official Marcos Charles said officers fired because Belgal drove his car into officers' vehicles and accelerated towards them, believing their lives were in danger. DHS identified Belgal as a criminal illegal alien with a grand larceny conviction and prior arrests for assault, robbery, and drug/weapons possession. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said plainclothes federal officers approached Belgal's car with guns drawn, and at least one officer fired seven rounds.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the shooting as an outrage and demanded President Donald Trump halt ICE enforcement actions in the city, calling to "Abolish ICE." Mamdani spent two hours on the phone with Trump and Mullin attempting to secure Belgal's release, but ICE agents removed him from the hospital to a detention facility outside New York state.

Governor Kathy Hochul also expressed outrage and requested the release of body camera footage. Protests erupted at the scene and outside the hospital. NYPD released body camera footage showing officers responding after the shooting and transporting Belgal to a hospital.

What they agree on

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot Oscar Belgal, 28, in the neck in New York City's Marble Hill neighborhood on Thursday.
A 5-year-old child was present in Belgal's car at the time of the shooting but was physically unharmed.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the shooting and called for an end to ICE enforcement actions in the city.
Protests erupted in New York City following the shooting, with demonstrators gathering at the scene and a nearby hospital.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated Belgal has a criminal history, including a grand larceny conviction, and was the target of a "targeted enforcement operation."

Where they split

Sources differ on the exact sequence of events leading to the shooting, with ICE officials stating Belgal accelerated his vehicle into officers' cars, while New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said plainclothes officers approached with guns drawn as Belgal pulled into a parking space.
Some sources, like The Washington Examiner and Democracy Now!, highlight the involvement of congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier and City Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa in the protests, including claims of NYPD escalating violence against protesters. Other sources, such as Reuters and The Boston Globe, focus more on the official statements from ICE and city leadership.
Several independent sources, including Truthout and The Intercept, emphasize that ICE agents were in plainclothes, wearing masks, and some with construction vests, and that at least one agent brandished an assault rifle. This detail is less prominent in some major US and international outlets.
Some sources, like Novara Media and Common Dreams, explicitly state that ICE agents removed Belgal from the hospital in an unmarked vehicle after treatment, while others, such as CBS News and The Boston Globe, mention he was taken to an ICE facility in another state without detailing the removal from the hospital.