Tensions flared outside the Bronx Criminal Court as Hawk Newsome, a prominent figure in the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, was arrested following a confrontation with a police officer.
The incident unfolded as Newsome arrived for a hearing related to the death of a suspect involving an NYPD sergeant. Video footage captured Newsome engaging in a verbal altercation with the officer, issuing threats and derogatory remarks.
“I’ll beat the s–t out of you,” Newsome can be heard saying in the video. “You must be out of your f—ing mind. You’re a vagina … F—ing vagina.”
Hawk Newsome a.k.a "BLM BurgerMan" was arrested yesterday at Bronx Criminal Court where he was present at a court hearing for Erik Duran, an NYPD officer charged with manslaughter in the death of Eric Duprey.
Not sure what the exact circumstances were. @CrimeInNYC pic.twitter.com/YziHgy3BUC
— Rondo Clinton 🇺🇸 🦅🐊 (@RondoClinton) May 15, 2024
Subsequently, Newsome was slapped with three summonses for disorderly conduct, according to reports from the New York Post.
While the exact trigger for the confrontation remains uncertain, Newsome claimed he was vocal in response to an officer accusing his group of loitering at the courthouse while they were there to support the family of the deceased.
“I care a lot. A man was smashed in the head with a cooler and killed,” Newsome explained to CBS News in defense of his actions.
Newsome’s behavior drew widespread condemnation on social media, with NYC councilwoman Vickie Paladino advocating for decisive police action, including the potential use of lethal force under extreme circumstances.
“If you are within reach of an officer’s firearm and behaving in an unambiguously hostile and threatening manner like this, you should be tased at the very least,” she wrote in a post on X. “Lethal force should not be out of the question either if tasers are ineffective and [the] situation escalates. It is beyond absurd that our police have to put up with this. Showing even an ounce of deference to this kind of abject hostility only invites more, and makes the job that much more dangerous. Criminals used to understand that actions like this crossed a line and would lead to bad outcomes. Now they know there are no consequences so they push even further. It’s a very dangerous game, enabled by progressives who cheer the chaos.”
If you are within reach of an officer’s firearm and behaving in an unambiguously hostile and threatening manner like this, you should be tased at the very least. Lethal force should not be out of the question either if tasers are ineffective and he situation escalates.
It is… https://t.co/n9PEJs0qL0
— Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (@VickieforNYC) May 15, 2024
This incident adds to Newsome’s controversial reputation, which includes prior reports of threatening and extorting an ice cream truck driver. His past remarks during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, where he expressed willingness to “burn down the system,” have also garnered attention.
In response to criticism, Newsome defended his rhetoric as reflective of the frustration and despair experienced by many in marginalized communities, emphasizing the need for systemic change.
The incident underscores the ongoing tensions surrounding police-community relations and the strategies employed by activists in their pursuit of social justice reforms.
