Easter Mayhem in Times Square

Easter Mayhem in Times Square. Inspector Dennis DeQuatro, the new commander of the Mid-Town South Police Precinct, gave a report to the April 7 meeting of Community Board 4 about the recent disturbances in Times Square. He said that for the past several years in a row, a number of people have gathered at Times Square late on Easter Sunday and some have gotten into fights with each other. The NYPD knows about this and had 200 officers in the area of 40th to 47th and Seventh to Eighth Avenue on the night of April 4, 2010.

By the next morning, 50 adults and 10 juveniles had been arrested on various charges. Two of these arrested had gang affiliations, according to the police database on gangs.

By 11:30 PM Sunday night, DeQuatro said, the police saw that the crowd had significantly grown in size. They also believe it was much larger than possible in past years because the Broadway pedestrian mall allows more people to gather in one place.

At around midnight on 41st between Seventh and Eighth, two groups crossed paths--one was walking east and the other walking west. Witnesses told police that words were exchanged and someone pulled out a .380 caliber handgun. Three rounds were fired and one individual was hit in the sneaker and the top of the foot. The third shot missed. None of the injuries are life-threatening. No one has been arrested, as of April 7, in this case.

At 2:10 AM, a group that had been dispersed by police from Times Square walked south towards 34th Street. Once again, two groups crossed each other, DeQuatro said, this time near Macy's. Words were again exchanged and a .380 caliber handgun was pulled. Two rounds were fired. A 19 year old woman was hit in the elbow and leg. Subsequent ballistic reports show this was not the same handgun as at the midnight incident.

Those involved fled eastward on 34th Street. Four arrests were made on charges of "gang assault."

Inspector DeQuatro was on the scene that night. He admits that the volume of people was larger than what the NYPD had anticipated that night--possibly because of the new pedestrian malls. But he believes the incidents of "wilding," as described by some press accounts, are inaccurate. There was no property damage, he noted, and large groups of people were not terrorized.

Reported by Christine G.