Brooklyn Artist Charged With Harassment Over Halloween Noose Display

Aaron Mealy was arrested on Sunday in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood after police charged him with aggravated harassment. The incident stems from a Halloween decoration depicting a lynching that was suspended from a tree on the sidewalk outside his home on Herkimer Street near Buffalo Avenue. Mealy, a 35-year-old Black artist, maintained that the piece was intended to provoke a reaction to the ongoing treatment of minorities in the United States.

The display featured a noose and a paper sign attached to the tree. According to police records, the sign read, “Hey, still lynching n, -s in 2026,” followed by “Happy Halloween.” Below that, Mealy added, “This is art.” When officers arrived at the scene, Mealy told them he wanted the public to know that lynching was still occurring. He stated that he did not care how people felt because art is meant to evoke feelings.

The city’s involvement in the case turned on a specific municipal ordinance. City law prohibits placing a noose, described as a symbol of racism and intimidation, on property without the owner’s consent. Because the tree from which the display hung was owned by the city, Mealy’s installation technically violated this rule, leading to the aggravated harassment charge.

Mealy was released without bail and referred all media inquiries to his attorney from the Legal Aid Society. In a statement, the agency described the display as an act of political expression rather than a hate crime. The group argued that Mealy was calling attention to systemic racism, including police brutality and mass incarceration. Legal Aid said it would vigorously defend his constitutional right to free speech against the charges.

Neighbors who called police described the scene as distasteful rather than artistic. One Black neighbor, who requested anonymity, said he approached Mealy to say, “Listen, you’re Black like me. Don’t do that.” The neighbor added that the image brought up bad memories. This resident noted that the mock lynching had actually been hanging from the stairs of Mealy’s home for three weeks before being moved to the sidewalk tree.

Kenneth Jeter, 21, another neighbor, said he respects people voicing opinions but felt Mealy could have toned the display down. Jeter noted that the sign alone would have been acceptable, but the addition of the noose changed the impact. Mealy has a prior criminal record. In 2023, he was charged with weapons possession after a gun was found in his home during a police response to an argument. He pleaded to misdemeanor weapons possession and was conditionally discharged.

Mealy’s case now moves through the criminal court system where his defense will contest the aggravated harassment charge. The dispute centers on whether a political statement made on public property constitutes harassment under city code.