House candidate urges NYPD commissioner to resign after ICE shooting in Marble Hill

After ICE agents shot 28-year-old Oscar Belgal in Marble Hill, House Democratic candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier participated in the ensuing protest and reported being pushed to the ground by a police officer as she attempted to de-escalate tensions. She criticized NYPD officers for using unmarked vehicles against demonstrators and said Commissioner Jessica Tisch tried to justify the shooting by citing Belgal’s prior police encounters.

Avila Chevalier argued the department prioritized protecting a militia over New Yorkers and violated the city’s sanctuary policies, urging the immediate disbanding of the NYPD Strategic Response Group and Tisch’s resignation. She also called for the complete abolition of ICE, stating the agency cannot be reformed. The incident occurred while a five-year-old child, Belgal’s son, was unharmed in the back seat of the vehicle.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the timing of the shooting, noting the street was crowded with families after school. The NYPD commissioner was retained by Mamdani as a gesture to business leaders despite criticism.