NYPD detectives say they were treated with hostility and suspicion at a Brooklyn hospital after seeking emergency medical care for an on-the-job injury, an incident that has sparked backlash from police unions and renewed scrutiny of the city’s increasingly hostile political climate toward law enforcement.
According to police officials, the detectives went to NYU Langone Health in the Cobble Hill neighborhood after one detective suffered a minor injury in the line of duty during a scuffle with a suspect.
The detectives were in plainclothes and identified themselves as NYPD, explaining the reason for their visit.
Despite that, sources told Eyewitness News that hospital security questioned their identities, detained them, and initially refused entry to one detective because he was carrying his service weapon.
Union leaders were quick to condemn the encounter.
“No individual—especially NYPD Detectives injured in the line of duty—should ever be subjected to such treatment,” the detectives’ union said in a statement.
The detectives, who were not publicly identified, believe hospital staff may have mistaken them for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and attempted to turn them away.
ICE agents often wear tactical gear marked “Police,” while NYPD detectives, though frequently in plainclothes, carry gold shields identifying them as sworn officers.
The episode unfolded amid rising political tensions surrounding immigration enforcement in New York City and increasingly aggressive rhetoric targeting ICE and law enforcement more broadly.
Appearing on The View earlier this week, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani openly called for ICE to be abolished.
“We’re seeing a government agency that is supposed to be enforcing some kind of immigration law, but instead, what it’s doing is terrorizing people no matter their immigration status,” Mamdani said.
When asked about the hospital incident the following day, the mayor said he had not been aware of it.
“That’s the first I’m hearing about it, but it’s something I’ll follow up on,” he told reporters.
NYU Langone later issued a statement acknowledging the incident and apologizing to the department.
“In our discussion with the Commissioner, we expressed our regret for how the situation was handled and reaffirmed our commitment to continue providing the highest quality care to the New York Police Department and all law enforcement agencies,” the hospital said.
The statement noted that the hospital treated nearly 1,000 NYPD officers across its emergency departments in 2025.
A department spokesperson said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch accepted the hospital’s apology.
“The members of the NYPD put their lives on the line to protect this city, and the very least they deserve in return is attentive medical care and to be treated with respect,” the department said.
Under New York’s “sanctuary” city laws, ICE agents are barred from entering hospitals without a signed judicial warrant.
However, injured individuals cannot be denied medical care, and NYPD officers are not permitted to be turned away under any circumstances.
For police advocates, the incident underscores a growing concern that anti-law-enforcement politics are beginning to affect even basic treatment for officers injured while doing their jobs.
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