'Seriously?': NYC Comptroller Brad Lander Reads Tweet From DHS Claiming He 'Assaulted An Officer'

During a press briefing on Tuesday, NYC Comptroller reacted to DHS tweeting that he assaulted an officer despite releasing him later with no charges.

Transcript

00:00The governor mentioned right at the top that they're not pursuing charges or

00:03they've dropped the charges, but what DHS put out was that you put your hands on

00:07a federal officer and you were being charged with obstructing justice.

00:10Seriously?

00:11So, I wonder what your response is to the way DHS characterized it for

00:16four hours before you came out.

00:18I mean, so I have not seen, literally, I didn't have my phone.

00:22And I literally just walked out of the building and

00:25I haven't had a chance to read one thing.

00:27I do know that while I was in there, Meg got me a lawyer.

00:30And so, you know, but I mean, I take it seriously.

00:33It's like, I know I'm going to have due process.

00:36I mean, I don't know.

00:36I trust that, you know, the governor said that they were informed her that the charges are

00:40being dropped.

00:41I don't know because I haven't seen or heard any information.

00:45That's exactly what they said.

00:46Okay.

00:46I'm reading it.

00:47I said you assaulted an officer.

00:48I mean, you guys all saw it on video, so you know exactly what happened.

00:52And I think probably on advice of counsel, I will not characterize the event.

00:57But I certainly did not assault an officer.

01:02I engaged in, anyway, so, but I guess I just think here's the thing, like, I know I will

01:08have due process and I will have a good lawyer and my rights will be protected.

01:15But Edgardo has no due process rights and no lawyer.

01:19And it's going to sleep tonight in God knows where in an ICE detention facility.

01:23And so is the name of the guy beforehand.

01:26What was his name, do we think?

01:28Zed.

01:29Zed.

01:30Zed the same.

01:31And you should have seen it.

01:32I mean, Courtney was in the room when they told Zed in French, though his native language

01:38is Yoruba, that the dismissal of his case meant he had no status.

01:45And I think he asked back in French, what do you mean, I have no status?

01:49Why?

01:50And he's not going to have a lawyer and he's not going to have due process.

01:53And that's why I was here.

01:55And, you know, I'll certainly defend myself in court if the DHS pursues charges.

02:02But what this is about is making sure that everybody has an opportunity to have a lawyer,

02:08to have their due process and defend themselves in court.