Migrant Scuffles With Cops At Hotel Shelter
Police body cam footage captures the moment New York City cops are forced to wrestle with a group of unruly migrants at a local hotel.
The Video released by the Yonkers Police Department begins with a Ramada Inn employee calling for help.
“The guy over here is unruly, and he’s getting very violent with everybody,” the employee said. “He’s throwing stuff at everybody; please send somebody here immediately.”
The footage also shows the officers walking into the lobby, where they grabbed Arnal Kent, a Venezuelan migrant, and took him into custody while surrounded by a crew of other migrants.
“Why does he have to hit me?” Kent yelled in Spanish as he struggled to get away. “They’re not taking me. They’re not taking me. I’m not doing anything.”
At one point in the footage, when the police were trying to put Kent into a squad vehicle, a woman, identified as Yainilet Hernandez, can be seen trying to prevent an officer from opening the cruiser’s door.
After disobeying several attempts to move, officers had to push Hernandez out of the way to open the door and get Kent in the vehicle.
A few minutes later, when officers attempted to cuff Hernandez and try to cuff her, she tried to pull away and attempted to strike the officers with her hands.
The bodycam footage later shows Hernandez being taken down to the ground by police and brought into custody. According to the police, Kent was charged with menacing, disorderly conduct and obstructing governmental administration and released without bail.
On the other hand, Hernandez was charged with second-degree assault, obstruction of governmental administration and resisting arrest and was being held at the Westchester County Jail on $500 bail.
According to the Yonkers Police Department, the NYC Department of Homeless Services has relocated around 250 migrants and children to the Yonkers Ramada Inn since May 2023.
“We’re not dealing with crime; we’re dealing with disputes. We’re trying to diffuse conflicts. A few people aren’t happy with certain situations, specific rules,” Yonkers Det. Sgt. Frank DiDomizio said. “We reached out to Westhab, the organization that runs the shelter. We were told no comment at this time.”