Gowanus Houses residents say the recent violent arrest of a man mistakenly identified as a drug dealer is a reflection of the long-running issues they’ve seen with how police interact with people in and around the public housing development.
“It’s infuriating,” Quentin Heyward, a resident of the Gowanus Houses, said of the viral video of the arrest in the liquor store, BK Wine Depot. “When things like this happen, it just removes any form of credibility and trust.”
Other residents said they were mortified by the violence, but added that it was only the latest example of strife between NYPD officers and residents in the gentrifying neighborhood. An oft-repeated complaint: officers unnecessarily stop residents and can be aggressive near the housing complex, which is located a block from Smith Street, a popular commercial corridor…