Photos by Steven
A 39-year-old man is in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries after being stabbed multiple times in the torso last night in Tompkins Square Park, according to published reports.
The stabbing took place around 11:30 p.m. inside the entrance at Seventh Street and Avenue A. Sources said the victim was sitting on a bench about 30 feet past the chess tables...
Here's more via ABC 7:
It's unclear whether the two individuals knew each other or if there was a dispute, but police say the 39-year-old was stabbed in the torso. The incident took place as many other people were in the park at the time. The suspect took off, fleeing the busy scene.
The Post reported that the NYPD is "looking for a man wearing black pants, and a black shirt with white lettering." No other description of the at-large suspect was immediately made available.
The NYPD added solar-powered auxiliary lights on the corner of Seventh Street and Avenue A last fall after someone slashed a delivery man in the face during the afternoon hours.
16 comments:
I just got chills reading the headline. WTF? I am utterly horrified by this news.
Jesus Christ. Stabbed at 1130pm on 7th and A? You've got to be kidding me. How come there is absolutely no police presence in the park, ever? There's constantly at least some roving, drugged-out element in there and even in the middle of the day it always feels like things could go south during the wrong encounter. There's three playgrounds in there FFS. Good thing we have a mayor who is "tough on crime".
That 7th and A entrance/corridor after dark is groddy, man.
Terrifying. What in God's name is going on? There were three separate stabbing just last night. Another one was around 9:30 at night on the Lower East side. Thankfully the victims survived the attacks.
"Back in the day," Tompkins was a special kind of place. A celebration of community and sharing, with gardens, squatted buildings, and yes, also encampments. Marches and vigils against the 1991 Gulf War often began inside Tompkins, and we gradually learned that solidarity with the people of Iraq also included solidarity with those left behind by Reaganomics and the systematic eroding of low-income housing. Fr. Kuhn at St. Brigid's brought all kinds of people to the church for meetings. He also followed those arrested through the criminal justice system, and struggled to prevent unnecessary confrontations with the police. Along the wall of the holding cell of the 9th precinct was carved the message: "Tompkins Square is Everywhere."
Okay, that was then, and this awful situation is now, and unless the park can get under control, I'm afraid it will have to be closed for a period of time. It hurts to say this, but it cannot continue as a drug den, especially unsafe at night.
Police were very quick to shut down the Burner Bike ride from entering the park a few weeks ago. Wish they showed such zealousness for combatting real crime.
Gee Felton you seem to have forgotten that "back in the day" there were numerous riots at TSP that often spilled out into the whole neighborhood and at the big one in 88 the NYPD put a massive amount of people into the ER. There were about 100 houseless people living in tents and the bandshell for about a year .I got beaten and arrested when they knocked the bandshell down by the way. The 88 riot was actually about closing the park at night after it was open all the time before that and bongo jams and loud drinking parties went on all night. Hey what about Daniel Rakowitz and his terrible crime.So now you are calling for the park to be closed like Antonio Pagan did ? Check this out quite a few people have been shot and killed on Ave. D in the last year why not shut down D and close the projects the violence there is much worse than the park. Felton you have changed and instead of calling for the cops how about doing anti violence work with all the other concerned citizens commenting here in the park ?How about Food not Bombs or remember Diane who fed thousands there. Keep on stargazing bro and think about how the park was so safe in the good old days. FYI it never was.
Felton Davis: I know I am not alone in saying how much your comment is appreciated and how much learning more about the history of the park from primary sources is welcomed. Any chance for more of this, Grieve? Guest columnist? Love the tone, style.
I really miss nyc grit and previous eras of art making and self-sufficiency and where that ethos crossed with housing/squatting/survival and lifting all of humanity up because we are/were empathic, and dare I say, civil?
Also, glad everyone who was stabbed is still here but the trauma from something like that is lasting and life-changing.
I think you may be misremembering. I have lived on seventh Street along the park since 1980. And "back in the day" - by which I mean all through the 80s - the park was crazy dangerous. I would never have ventured in after dark without my protection trained German shepherd. Nowadays, I walk through the park by myself at night with little concern. Yes, things like this can happen (though it sounds like this, as with most of the park stabbings in recent times, was an issue between people who knew each other), but they are much, much less common than they were "back in the day "
Agree with MVD. The park was crazy dangerous, especially in the early 80s before the hedges were removed. Up until the post riots renovation it was very sketchy. These days it's edgier than it was 5 years ago but not much.
Why isn't there CCTV in this park? Good grief. I live down the street from this area and am very disturbed by this news. I hope the victim will be okay.
I'm so upset about this news. 11:30 is not late, I'm sure there were people everywhere. The city has sent a message of leniency (from pot smoking to just taking over streets with outdoor bars, etc). It sends a message that anything goes here in the EV. The city needs to step up. A car can get a parking ticket seconds after a meter expires but people can get a way with stabbing???? And they haven't caught him? WTF!
Such sad news! This screams bring back police foot patrol!!
People were not too fond of the police tower
the precinct is so close they need people patrolling there at night
Put cameras everywhere in the damn park real simple .And have police on each corner simple.
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