“We don’t really have any choice but to take it,” said Echeverria.įinding work is difficult, they recounted, as many migrants lack the necessary paperwork to secure jobs. Several asylum seekers at the Brooklyn shelter told the Guardian on Wednesday, without disclosing their names, that they often wait up to several hours for a limited supply of shelter beds, and accused some staff of routinely yelling at them. “They have a lot of advantage over us,” Echeverria said of shelter authorities. Yohandy Echeverria, 27, another Venezuelan who was in the room during the incident, called the interaction with officers “an abuse of authority”. The agency also did not comment on accusations that officers attempted to block recording by other residents, and other aspects of the incident.Īriadna Phillips, from the community group South Bronx Mutual Aid, said: “Every New Yorker should have safe, affordable, permanent housing. The officer who initially hit Martinez was suspended, the New York Times reported.ĭHS did not reply to several requests for comment on the officer’s suspension. Martinez later showed the Guardian his injuries, with bruises visible on his abdomen and arm. Later video footage shared with the Guardian shows Martinez on a gurney, handcuffed behind his back and semi-conscious, being taken to a waiting ambulance. “They wanted to take my phone, and they wanted me to erase the video … I wouldn’t give them the phone, and they were, like, not letting me go,” said Luis, 21, who was in the room during the incident and spoke via an informal interpreter, and also asked for his last name to be withheld. This according to Martinez and several others who witnessed the officers’ behavior towards him, with more bystander video, viewed by the Guardian, appearing to capture some of that subsequent violence.Įye witnesses also described officers on the scene trying to force them out of the room and take away phones. Then additional officers were called to the shelter, allegedly pinning down Martinez, hitting him with batons, and Tasing him several times. In the video, a shelter worker is seen rushing to separate the officer from the resident. Martinez speaks little English and used his native Spanish to talk to advocates, who interpreted for reporters, with the Guardian independently checking the translation of these interviews. Then, the officer is seen punching Martinez across the face or head. In response, Martinez becomes angry and repeatedly yells “don’t hit me”, in Spanish, at the officer, gesticulates and kicks a nearby locker. Video of the incident taken by bystanders also shows the officer swearing at Martinez several times, in English, at one point yelling: “Put on your clothes and get the fuck out.” “If he wants me to get up, tell me to, but he can’t. “When he does that, I get up and tell him he can’t do that, that he’s an official and can’t be hitting us,” said Martinez. While trying to catch up on some sleep, Martinez said an officer on site began jabbing him in the back, apparently prompting him to leave his shelter bed in advance of the 8am checkout. On Wednesday afternoon, Martinez told the Guardian the incident began after he returned around 6am to the Brooklyn shelter from working a night shift cleaning a school. The week before, 75 such migrants arrived to Chicago. On Thursday, the Washington DC mayor, Muriel Bowser, announced a state of public emergency over migrants who are also being bussed to that city from Texas and Arizona. Many have been forced to rely on the already-overcrowded shelter system. New York City was among the first to welcome such migrants, with mayor Eric Adams condemning opposition by the Texas Republican governor, Greg Abbott, to providing more options locally.īut the city has struggled to provide adequate, suitable resources. The physical aggression towards Martinez occurred amid growing tension over thousands of asylum seekers being bussed from some Republican-held states, acting unilaterally, to Democratic-led cities, without any liaison.Īfter reaching and crossing the US-Mexico border this summer, Martinez had been put on a bus to New York by the Texas authorities, he recounted via an advocate briefing, while awaiting the outcome of his attempt to claim asylum. He was taken by ambulance to an area hospital to be treated for his injuries, according to a hospital report. Martinez was also allegedly struck with batons after other officers became involved, according to Martinez and eyewitnesses. lE9BXFntRv- The Looted Futures Generation September 7, 2022 En vivo en Instagram en las cuentas mencionados arriba. Live on instagram on either South Bronx Mutual Aid or NYCICEwatch's account.Ĭonferencia de Prensa 2 PM esquina de Atlantic/Bedford. Emergency presser 2 PM mens shelter at Atlantic/Bedford.
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