Who is David 'Shaman' Ortiz? DJ who held late-night parties at Washington Square Park arrested
A DJ who is known for hosting raucous parties in New York City's Washington Square Park was taken into custody last week after causing months of chaos for the localities living in the nearby areas. The people living nearby prompted NYPD to kick out hundreds of revelers after a midnight curfew was instated.
David 'Shaman' Ortiz, 29, was arrested on July 21, 2021, around midnight, after he stepped in front of a slow-moving police car in an effort to stop them from breaking up the crowded Greenwich Village gathering. He was quickly released. It was reported that Ortiz was charged with a misdemeanor for obstructing governmental administration. The day after his arrest, he said, "They tried to run me over." He also shared a video of the beginning of the altercation on Instagram. The 29-year-old has been coordinating parties, which drew huge crowds in the park during midnight closing time.
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Who is David 'Shaman' Ortiz?
Ortiz leads a group named the “We Outside Crew,” and in June 2021 told the Washington Square Park neighbors “you should move” if they didn’t like his after-hours celebrations in the iconic park. He’s also a former city employee who recently left the staff of District 37 Councilwoman Darma Diaz (D-Brooklyn). The group claims to be "spreading positivity through music & social justice" but has caused disturbances in the park that have led to heated local community meetings. A Greenwich Village community board meeting dissolved into disorder on July 21, 2021, hours before Ortiz got arrested. The community meeting was one of several that have been held to discuss the violent illegal activities that have overrun Washington Square Park in recent months. The late-night party organizers and attendees clashed with local residents at the Community Board 2 meeting, which was promoted by police oversight activists.
At the board meeting, Ortiz defended himself as the host of the illegal parties and boxing matches saying that he and The We Outside Crew were providing a community service. "What we do is we amplify the sound and the communication of the community that's already been there in Washington Square Park for forever. This park has been around for decades before any of you have even been alive. Artists have been flocking there for centuries. This is a place of community. This is a place to be, a place of welcome." Speaking of an earlier arrest, Ortiz said, "And yes, I was arrested for this. And yes, just three days ago my case was dismissed for being arrested for amplified sound. Wanna know why? 'Cuz it's bull." During the chaotic meeting, Ortiz ran to the panel members and yelled in the officials' faces specifically aiming his anger at NYPD Capt Stephen Spataro, the commanding officer of the 6th Precinct. The NYPD 6th Precinct oversees Washington Square Park.
Just last month, Ortiz said that the parties will continue every night through the summer, adding that it is his constitutional right to be there despite violent crime that has turned the park into a no-go zone for locals. On June 19, 2021, a crowd of hundreds of people returned to the park again for another rave, just 24 hours after a woman was trampled by terrified crowds trying to flee a man armed with a large knife and a taser.
Speaking to DailyMail.com Ortiz, who calls himself 'the Shaman', said, "We're going to be here every single day. Just like the police are, we are too. Because this is as much our home as to the other residents that actually live here." He added, "If you can't accept the fact that I'm living within my First Amendment constitutional rights, which is the right to freedom of speech and to rally in a public place, then my friend you are living in the wrong country and democracy is not for you."