NYC journalist shoved, pepper-sprayed while covering NBA watch party

Dean Moses, amNewYork’s police bureau chief and resident photographer, was pushed by a police officer and doused with pepper spray while covering clashes between police and fans at a basketball watch party in New York, New York, on June 8, 2026.

Fans gathered in and around Bryant Park in Manhattan to watch Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs, amNewYork reported. There was a heightened law enforcement presence that night, as President Donald Trump attended the game itself around 10 blocks away.

As the night wore on — and the Knicks lost the game — some people in the crowd became disorderly and violent, blocking traffic and climbing on top of police vehicles, according to news reports. The New York City Police Department said 21 people were arrested.

According to amNewYork, at one point, a crowd of people spilled out onto a street and a group of officers was surrounded. One officer “became enraged with members of the media, pushing an amNewYork photographer and screaming, ‘Get that flash out of my face.’”

Moses confirmed to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that he was the photographer who was pushed, saying the officer claimed he was “blinding him” with the flash.

The NYPD then used pepper spray to try to push back fans and press.

“He also did get myself and a few other press with the pepper spray,” Moses continued, adding that he turned his head as the irritant was fired, so it got in his hair.

“They certainly knew we were press and still aimed toward us,” he said.

The NYPD did not respond to a request for comment about Moses’ assault.