Brooklyn artist charged with harassment over Halloween lynching display

Aaron Mealy was arrested on Sunday and charged with aggravated harassment after installing a Halloween display that depicted a lynching outside his Brooklyn home. The 35-year-old Black artist was released without bail and has directed inquiries to his Legal Aid attorney.

The display consisted of a figure hanging from a noose placed on a tree on the sidewalk at the corner of Herkimer Street and Buffalo Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant. A paper sign attached to the tree read, “Hey, still lynching n, -s in 2026,” and “Happy Halloween,” according to police records. Mealy added the phrase “This is art” to the installation.

Mealy stated the work was intended to symbolize the ongoing abuse of minorities in the United States. When officers arrived at his residence, he told them he wanted people to know that lynching was still occurring and that he did not care how people felt because art is meant to evoke feelings, per the criminal complaint.

The charge relies on a city law that prohibits placing a noose on property without the owner's consent, noting that the symbol is commonly exhibited as a marker of racism and intimidation. In this case, the tree where the display was hung was owned by the city, not the private landowner.

Legal Aid, representing Mealy, described the incident as a political statement rather than a hate crime. The agency argued that Mealy was calling attention to systemic racism, police brutality, and mass incarceration. They said the legal team would vigorously defend his constitutional right to free speech against the charges.

Neighbors reacted with discomfort rather than support. One man, who asked not to be named, said he approached Mealy to tell him, “Listen, you’re Black like me. Don’t do that.” He added that the sight brought up many bad memories. That neighbor noted the mock lynching had been hanging from the stairs of Mealy’s home for three weeks before it was moved to the public sidewalk.

Another neighbor, 21-year-old Kenneth Jeter, said he respects the right to voice opinions but believed Mealy could have toned down the display. Jeter suggested that a sign alone would have been acceptable, but adding the noose changed the nature of the expression.

Mealy has a prior record. In 2023, he was charged with weapons possession after a gun was found in his home during a police response to a domestic argument. He pleaded to misdemeanor weapons possession and was conditionally discharged. His next court date is scheduled for late 2026.