BY LINCOLN ANDERSON | A woman was left bleeding from her head in Washington Square Park Saturday morning after she was run over by stampeding revelers fleeing from a man waving a Taser, police said.
Cops said that around 12:40 a.m. Saturday, inside the park, a police officer saw a man, 42, with a Taser and large knife threatening people, “waving the Taser in a reckless and menacing manner.”
No one was shocked or stabbed by the man, but the crowd panicked and ran northward through the park toward the arch. A 44-year-old woman who was near the man tried to run away, too, but was knocked down by a group of people who were fleeing and she was run over, police said.
At first, as the crowd was suddenly seen fleeing through the park, it wasn’t clear exactly what was going on. One wondered if police were moving to enforce the midnight curfew and people were running away from them. But seconds later, a police officer came sprinting through them with the limp woman dramatically draped in his arms.
Police lifted her over the metal gates ringing the illuminated arch, behind which a detail of around two-dozen cops were stationed with a police van. The woman sat on the ground, blood splattered over her white dress and holding a cloth or small towel to her left temple as police gathered around her.
The Village Sun asked a man who was with the victim what happened and he calmly answered without alarm, “She just got knocked over.”
But one woman in the crowd was concerned — mainly, that the party might end.
“Turn the music back on!” she yelled. “They’re going to clear the park!”
“I was set up!” the handcuffed suspect yelled as he was loaded into a police van.
The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital where she was reported in stable condition.
The arrested man was identified as Jason McDermott. He was charged with reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon.
At 2:30 a.m., the park was still open and the curfew had not been enforced.
While some large nightclubs frisk patrons for weapons at the door, that does not happen at the outdoor raves at Washington Square. Members of a group called PEOPLE, who were handing out free food and water and collecting empty bottles and cans, said they have a de-escalation team in the park.
Friday night into Saturday morning, the police mainly remained under the arch, behind a perimeter of metal gates.
I’m not sure it matters, but when the “curfew” was initiated the city put up one of those programmable signs in the park that indicated the park would close at *10 PM* from Friday to Sunday.
I’ve lived near WSP for over 25 years and have never had the slightest interest in being there in the small hours of the morning. (During daylight hours it’s a place I’ve always loved.) It’s hard to avoid concluding that many of the people there after midnight are interested mainly in openly defying the curfew and expressing their contempt for the police.
In any case it’s dispiriting to read about these awful confrontations. I hope the poor woman who was trampled is okay.
You don’t have to be a genius to know to keep out of the park at night.
this is what happens when our mayor cares only about upzoning and the hospitality lobby — i.e. restaurants and their roadway dining.
orders from the top — ignore all…. residents beware!!!
I thought there was a curfew? The police are letting this stuff go on, on purpose. Then they get the NY Post to report how lawless everything is and how we need to revoke the bail-reform law, and reinstate stop-and-frisk.
This is what happens when civility and respect have been greatly diminished in the past five years and when people feel they need not consider the sensibilities of societal norms.
What do you expect when a great park for all is co-opted by the “my way or else you are white, rich and entitled,” self-absorbed, disrespectful and selfish herds that descend upon our neighborhood?
There are rules and laws for all our protection and safety and they need be enforced to ensure that the community has the quiet enjoyment of their homes and community park.
This truly obnoxious behavior by individuals and groups of thoughtless “revelers” is handing this city over to a law-and-order agenda.
This is how the far right gets elected into power, folks: Scare the hell out of voters.
this is the result of failing policies in many urban progressive cities. PD & enforced curfew: no-brainer.
Are tasers easy to get for non-police?
https://www.amazon.com/Stun-Guns/b?ie=UTF8&node=7824770011