Wednesday’s Headlines: Sidewalk Police Edition

We don’t cover immigration in these pages, but we do cover public space. And we’re big supporters of being allowed to lawfully express oneself in public space without fear of recrimination.

That’s why we found ourselves disturbed not only by what we saw in two videos of an aggressive arrest of a woman at the immigration protest in Lower Manhattan on Monday night, but also by the NYPD’s insufficient explanation for same.

First the videos:

The first one, posted by Spyder Monkey on X.com, shows a phalanx of cops targeting a woman with a bicycle who appears to be on the sidewalk and does not appear to be doing anything.

In a video from a different angle, posted by reporter Gwynne Hogan to Bluesky, you can hear onlookers screaming, “We’re on the sidewalk.” Nonetheless, the police pounce.

The videos raised lots of questions, which we posed to the NYPD, including:

• What was this person charged with?
• Why was the person the focus of police enforcement action?
• Does the NYPD consider this a reasonable use of force?

Here is, verbatim, what was sent over by an NYPD spokesperson, who declined to provide a name:

“There is a report on file for Felony Assault. On Monday, June 9, 2025 at approximately 1815 hours at the intersection of Duane Street and Lafayette Ave [sic], an individual was observed standing in the street, where there was an available sidewalk. After issuing numerous warnings, the individual was placed under arrest. Upon placing the individual under arrest, she was holding a bicycle to prevent arrest and shoved said bicycle into the arresting officers causing lacerations and bleeding to the officer’s arm. The officer refused medical attention.”

Not only did it not answer our questions, it’s interestingly worded, no? “An individual was observed standing in the street, where there was an available sidewalk.” (We don’t see that in the video.) And this: “She was holding a bicycle to prevent arrest.” (Perhaps she was just holding a bicycle?”) Or this: “[She] shoved said bicycle into the arresting officers causing lacerations and bleeding to the officer’s arm.” (The video suggests that the dozen or so cops all grabbing at the bicycle might have also played a role in the cut allegedly sustained by the officer — a boo-boo that was not serious enough to require medical attention.)

The NYPD identified the arrested person — Madeline Willis, 25, of Brooklyn — and the charges: assault on police officer, resisting arrest, Obstruction of Governmental Administration and pedestrian failure to use sidewalk.

We hope to have more on this today (no one else covered it yesterday). Meanwhile, tell us what you think in the comments.

In other news:

• Speaking of current events in the public realm, there were more anti-ICE protests in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday. (NYDN, NY Post)
• Oh, so now we know what President Trump and Deputy Mayor Kaz Daughtry and NYPD Chief of Department John Chell discussed over golf. (NY Post)
• Short memories edition: Mike Bloomberg endorsed Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday. (NYDN, NY Post, NY Times)
• A congestion pricing opponent won the Democratic primary for New Jersey governor (NY Times). And a congestion pricing opponent won the Republican primary for New Jersey governor (NY Times). But what else did you expect?
• Speaking of the successful tolls, there was a great moment in the comptroller debate:

• OMNY problems persist. (Gothamist)
• It is about time we have a human impigeonation contest. (NY Post)
• The New Yorker has had a lot of great cartoons about bicycles, but the June 9 issue has what might be our favorite: