The Bobster
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Dramatic confrontation between migrants, cops ends with arrest at Randall’s Island shelter
The chaotic scene kicked off sometime Thursday when an unnamed individual who was not supposed to be at the facility was asked to leave.
nypost.com
Dramatic confrontation between migrants, cops ends with arrest at Randall’s Island shelter
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Published Feb. 20, 2024, 8:14 a.m. ET
One person has been arrested after a dramatic caught-on-video confrontation between NYPD officers and migrants at the increasingly lawless Randall’s Island tent city.
The chaotic scene kicked off around 11 a.m. Thursday, when police responded to reports of a man causing a disturbance at the shelter, according to authorities.
“Upon arrival officers observed a male who was involved in a verbal dispute with security and acting in a disorderly fashion,” an NYPD spokesperson told The Post.
It is unclear why the individual was there or what led up to the scuffle.
Video of the incident shows a man in a white T-shirt and dark pants can be seen sparring with several police officers in plain view of a large crowd.
“The person was removed from the premises. No injuries were reported,” authorities said.
The investigation is ongoing.
Thursday’s melee was “terrifying but normal,” Akmaral Satybaldieva, 21, told The Post of the tent city, which has plagued by issues since it sprung up in August 2023.
In January, a 24-year-old asylum seeker was stabbed to death in the cafeteria tent during a fight over a woman.
Rogue migrants booted from Big Apple shelters have also been setting up an illegal mini-tent city outside the site — and have been slinging weed.
“I want to run from this place as fast as I can. Everyday there’s fights. It’s not safe and people can just steal your things,” Satybaldieva, who is from Kyrgyzstan, lamented.
Satybaldieva arrived just one month ago, and knows nobody except for her friend, Sasha, she explained.
She also showed The Post a video of a seperate altercation, which she said illustrated the realities of life at the facility.
“It’s an OK place to start, to get your documents – But I want to leave, the food is bad and it’s dangerous.” she said of the tent city, adding that she eventually hopes to get a job in the hotel industry, which she worked in for two years in Dubai.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for a comment on the incident.
Some onlookers eventually jumped into the fray — even nailing one female officer in the head with a backpack before the suspect was held down and cuffed.