New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s staff reportedly objected to Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier’s public criticism of Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch following a shooting involving federal immigration agents, according to a New York Post report cited by Fox News.
The shooting occurred earlier in October during an immigration operation. The supplied report identifies the person shot as Oscar Belgal, a 28-year-old national of the Dominican Republic. It says the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, of which Chevalier is a member, called on Mamdani to remove Tisch after the incident. Chevalier also urged Tisch’s removal, despite having previously received Mamdani’s endorsement, the report says.
Mamdani said he was reviewing the circumstances of the shooting but did not intend to replace the police commissioner. “Jessica Tisch is the police commissioner. I have no plans to change that,” he told reporters Tuesday, according to the supplied account.
The Post reported that people it did not identify said City Hall viewed Chevalier’s statements as a challenge to the mayor’s position. One source described her social media activity and public comments about the NYPD as upsetting to staff. Another said her confrontational rhetoric was intended to mobilize supporters but was not helpful. The sources also characterized her as a potential problem for the administration, though the supplied material does not independently establish their descriptions or identify them by name.
Chevalier criticized Tisch’s discussion of Belgal’s criminal history at a news conference about the shooting. In remarks while appearing with Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, Chevalier said she was angry after hearing Tisch’s comments. She added that she had reviewed the remarks to check whether they supported Chevalier’s earlier statement, but said the details did not matter to her position.
The NYPD defended the commissioner’s decision to include the information. In a statement to Fox News Digital, the department said Tisch was providing a factual update and that the department routinely includes known criminal history in incident briefings. The statement added that news organizations commonly ask about that information.
The report says Fox News Digital sought comment from both Chevalier’s campaign and City Hall. It does not include a response from either. The supplied material also does not provide further details about the shooting or the status of any investigation.
David Laska, communications director for the New York State Republican Party, criticized Mamdani and the Democratic Party in comments to Fox News Digital. He argued that Mamdani’s past rhetoric had contributed to the political dispute and invoked the French Revolution in describing the situation. Laska’s remarks are partisan criticism, not an independently established account of the mayor’s role or the events surrounding the shooting.
