New York City – Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office is reportedly in a heated dispute with Democratic House candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, who has called for the removal of Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents shot an illegal immigrant earlier this month.
Mayor’s stance
While reviewing the circumstances of the shooting, Mayor Mamdani made clear he has no intention of changing the city’s police leadership. “Jessica Tisch is the police commissioner. I have no plans to change that,” the mayor told reporters on Tuesday.
Candidate’s criticism
Chevalier, a member of the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), publicly demanded Tisch’s removal, arguing the commissioner’s comments about the criminal history of the victim were inappropriate. In a recent appearance with Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, Chevalier expressed anger over the incident, saying, “It doesn’t even matter, right? It doesn’t even matter.”
Sources familiar with the mayor’s staff, as reported by the New York Post, described Chevalier as a “potential liability” for the Mamdani administration and said her criticism was a “direct undermining” of the mayor’s office. One source said, “They were p—– about what she did on social media and her public rhetoric on NYPD,” adding that City Hall’s reaction was, “What the f— are you doing!” Another source noted, “She is throwing her own fireball rhetoric to rally the folks, but instigating doesn’t help.”
Police department response
The NYPD stood by Commissioner Tisch’s statements, emphasizing that providing criminal history in incident updates is standard practice. “The Police Commissioner was giving a factual update on the incident, and we always provide criminal history in incident updates, if we have it,” the department said in a comment to Fox News Digital.
Political fallout
New York State Republican Party Director of Communications David Laska seized on the controversy, denouncing the Democratic Party and accusing Mayor Mamdani of enabling “anti‑American, antisemitic rhetoric.” Laska warned, “History reminds us that even Robespierre was guillotined in the end.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Chevalier’s campaign and City Hall for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
Implications for the mayor’s office
The dispute highlights the tension between the mayor’s administration and progressive candidates who seek to influence city policy on immigration enforcement and public safety. While Mamdani has signaled a willingness to review the ICE shooting, he remains firm in his support for Commissioner Tisch, underscoring a broader commitment to maintaining established law‑enforcement leadership amid rising partisan pressures.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
