Police say these 4 suspects beat and robbed a man for $1 last Saturday afternoon on 3rd and C

The NYPD is searching for four suspects who they say beat and robbed a man on Avenue C near the southeast corner of Third Street this past Saturday afternoon.

Here's the narrative via the NYPD:

It was reported to police that on Saturday, October 26, 2019 at approximately 1225 hours, in front of 26 Avenue C, a 35-year-old male victim was walking when two individuals approached him and engaged him in conversation. The two individuals were soon joined by two additional individuals, who then all took turns punching the male victim until he fell to the ground.

The group of four individuals then continued to punch and kick the victim about the head and upper torso, before forcibly removing his property, consisting of his jacket, boots, sunglasses and $1 cash. The victim sustained lacerations and bruising to his head and torso and was treated and subsequently released from Bellevue Hospital.

The individuals are described as three adult females and one adult male, 20s- 30s; the three females have heavy builds, two of them carrying handbags, while the male has a medium build, facial hair and a full head of black hair. The individuals were acting in concert.

Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online. All calls are strictly confidential.

NYPD looking for suspect who tried to force his way into woman's apartment near 7th and A

The NYPD is seeking information on a suspect who allegedly tried to force his way into a woman's apartment near Seventh Street and Avenue A this past Friday night at 11.

Here's the info that the NYPD provided...

It was reported to police that on Friday October 25 at approximately 2300 hours, the individual followed the 19-year-old female victim into a residential building in the vicinity of East 7 Street and Avenue A. Once inside the building, they entered the elevator together.

When the victim got off the elevator and walked to her apartment door, the individual approached her from behind and covered her mouth. He then wrapped his other arm around her waist and demanded she open the door to her apartment. The victim refused and yelled out for help. When one of the victim's neighbors opened her door to see what was happening, the individual released the victim and ran to the elevator; he fled out of the building in an unknown direction.

The individual is described as a male, black, 20 to 25 years old, 6'2"; he was last seen wearing a black baseball cap, a white hooded sweater, black shorts, and black sneakers.

Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online. All calls are strictly confidential.

As the posters along Seventh Street note, there's up to a $2,500 reward for information on this case.

Report: Cops blame cyclist for being assaulted on his bike

A cyclist who says he was knocked off his bike while riding on First Avenue is infuriated over the NYPD's response to his assault.

Gothamist has the story of Wilfred Chan, 28, who was riding north on First Avenue Wednesday afternoon when a man, standing in the gray pedestrian median of the crosswalk at Fourth Street, forced him off his bike.

"As I was approaching, we made eye contact, and I noticed he was staring pretty intensely at me," Chan said. Chan initially had been cycling in the bike lane, but says he swerved out into the car lane to avoid pedestrians standing in the bike lane. "I was going 20 MPH so it didn't make sense to be in the bike lane," he added. "I was comfortably keeping pace with traffic, and I had the green light."

As he passed the intersection at Fourth Street, Chan says the man stepped out from the crosswalk and kicked him off his bike. He swerved left into the orange barrier between the car and bike lanes, crashed, flipped over and landed in the bike lane on his head. As a result of the fall, he was bleeding from a gash on his forehead; he injured his elbow; and his bike was mangled, with the front wheel and handle bars twisted.

Then...

By this point, a crowd of bystanders had gathered, several of whom had witnessed what happened to Chan. When the man tried to leave, Chan says some onlookers tried to keep him there, and a fight broke out, with several punches thrown. At this point, it attracted the attention of some nearby NYPD officers from the 9th Precinct.

Chan says he told them what had happened, but was met with immediate skepticism and aggressive questioning. According to Chan, the officers accused him of changing his story because he wasn't sure if the man kicked his bike or put his foot in front of the bike.

"They immediately started gaslighting me," Chan said. "They had an idea already of what happened, and anything I said did not matter. They approached with a demeanor of deep suspicion and skepticism at everything I said, I felt like I was the one being interrogated rather than the person who kicked me off my bike."

Parting thoughts...

"To me, the main point is just the utter and willful inadequacy of the police as a system for keeping the city safe for cyclists," he said. "We face terrifying threats every day just trying to get from point A to B and the city has repeatedly shown it does not give a fuck. The cops' attitude to me totally confirmed this — the fact that I was on a bike meant I had no rights. That if I got hurt, even if someone attacked me, it was my fault."

Read the full post here.

EVG photo of First Avenue and Fourth Street from earlier this summer.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader reports: The NYPD forcibly stops a Citi Biker on Avenue A for his own safety

Police searching for suspect who robbed the Dunkin' Donuts on 14th Street near Avenue B

🚨#WANTED🚨 Do you recognize him? He’s wanted for #ROBBERY. On 9/12/19, at a store on E. 14th St., he removed 💵 from the register and punched a worker before fleeing! If you recognize him or have any info, ☎️ our 🕵🏻‍♂️ at 212-477-7809 or DM @NYPDTips. pic.twitter.com/YwyWe0BGgJ

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) September 17, 2019

Police are searching for a suspect who allegedly robbed the Dunkin' Donuts on 14th Street just west of Avenue B last Thursday morning around 9:30.

In its recap of the crime, the Post reported that the suspect failed to open the register. The man then "grabbed five or six donuts and stuffed them in a paper bag."

On his way out the door, the suspect "repeatedly punched" an employee in the face who had tried to intervene.

Gov. Cuomo condemns suspect who left anti-gay graffiti on Avenue A; another message found on Norfolk Street

A follow-up to the earlier post about the anti-gay message spray-painted on the gate of the empty storefront at 11 Avenue A...

The graffiti at 11 Avenue A, which is now under investigation by the @NYPDHateCrimes Task Force, has been cleaned. If you’ve got any information about it or it’s perpetrator, there’s a reward—up to $2500! ☎️ 1-800-577-TIPS or DM @NYPDTips. #YourCityYourCall pic.twitter.com/fFwZD4uTKX

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) August 10, 2019

Earlier today, Gov. Cuomo condemned the hate crime...

In New York we have zero tolerance for this sort of vile and cowardly act of hate. I'm directing the State Police Hate Crimes Unit to assist the NYPD with its investigation to ensure those responsible are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.https://t.co/W9DQYXTKfc

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 10, 2019

Unfortunately, Avenue A wasn't the only place to receive a hateful message ... this is on the east side of Norfolk Street just north of Delancy (h/t @madaecnerwal) ...

Police still searching for suspect in attempted sexual assault in Stuy Town on June 29

[Avenue A and 11th Street]

The NYPD continues their search for a suspect who attacked a woman on the Stuy Town oval early on June 29.

You can read Town & Village's coverage of the attempted sexual assault here.

This attack is the pinned tweet now @NYPDTips...

📺Today, Crime Stoppers is highlighting an attempted RAPE in the @NYPD13Pct. On 6/29 at 5AM, the subject shown choked and assaulted a victim in the vicinity of #StuyvesantOval while attempting to sexually assault them. Know something? 📲#800577TIPS or 💻 https://t.co/MoYB90aDa9. pic.twitter.com/hrDMRjYqmH

— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) July 26, 2019

The Perv Busters, part of the Guardian Angels, have also distributed flyers about the suspect...


Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online. There's a reward up to $2,500 for info on this suspect.

Previously on EV Grieve:
NYPD looking for suspect in an attempted sexual assault in Stuy Town

Spray-painted message on Avenue A being treated as a hate crime by the NYPD; police ID suspect

--

Find an update here

--

The NYPD is searching for a suspect who spray-painted "Kill the gay away" early Thursday morning on the gate at 11 Avenue A, an empty building between First Street and Second Street. The police have classified this as a hate crime.

🚨WANTED🚨for a Criminal Mischief (Hate Crime) in the vicinity of 11 Avenue A #eastvillage #manhattan @NYPD9Pct On 08/08/19 @ 2:40 AM 💰Reward up to $2500👓Seen him? Know who he is?☎️Call 1-800-577-TIPS or DM us!📞Calls are CONFIDENTIAL! #yourcityyourcall pic.twitter.com/OmnfuEvaM7

— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) August 10, 2019

Police described the suspect as white, around 5 feet 6 with curly blond hair. He was wearing a green shirt and carrying a yellow messenger bag.

Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online. There's a reward up to $2,500 for info on this suspect.

And the message is still on the gate as of this morning...

[Updated] NYPD looking for suspect who forced his way into woman's apartment near 12th and A

🚨WANTED🚨for a Burglary in vicinity of Avenue A and East 12. @NYPD9Pct #EastVillage #Manhattan on 7/29/19 @ 1:45 AM 💰Reward up to $2500👓Seen Him? Know who he is?☎️Call 1-800-577-TIPS or DM us!📞Calls are CONFIDENTIAL! #YourCityYourCall @NYPDDetectives @ny1desk pic.twitter.com/E0kbXNmksM

— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) July 27, 2019

The NYPD is searching for a suspect, shown in the above clip, who reportedly followed a 21-year-old woman into her building early Friday morning before forcing his way into her apartment located near Avenue A and East 12th Street.

--

Updated 8/2: Police ID'd the suspect as Tyler Lockett.

--

Per the Post:

He continued behind her as she went to her apartment door — where he forced his way inside and pushed the woman to the ground.

“Shut up,” he told her as he tried to cover her mouth, cops said.

He ran off shortly thereafter when he saw the victim’s roommate.

Here's more via the NYPD alert:

He was last seen fleeing on foot in the vicinity of 11 street and 1 Avenue. There were no reported injuries or property taken as a result of the incident.

The individual is described as an adult male Black, slim build, brown eyes, beard and short black afro-hair. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweat jacket, black pants, a white t-shirt, black sneakers and carrying a black backpack.

Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online.

Updated 8/5

The NYPD made an arrest...

Thanks to the work of @NYPDDetectives in @NYPDSVU and sharp-eyed officers of the @NYPD90Pct, TYLER LOCKETT was apprehended! Thanks too to the community for its help sharing this! #NYPDConnecting #NYPDProtecting pic.twitter.com/M6xByGGT7y

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) August 4, 2019

Reader report: Ticketed by the NYPD for double parking in bike lane during Alternate Side Parking

The city is apparently serious about issuing tickets to cars and drivers parking or stopping in bike lanes — at least temporarily.

Yesterday, an EVG reader who lives on Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B told me that she received a $110 ticket for double parking in the newly created bike lane while waiting for the street sweeper during Alternate Side Parking.

She explained that the established practice on the block for at least the past seven years is that you double park, often even leaving your car unattended for a short period of time, and wait for the street sweeper to pass ... then you move your vehicle into a freshly swept space. It's the usual game of musical vehicles that takes place citywide on alt-parking days.

Yesterday, every car that was double parked on the block received a $110 ticket — for "double parking in a bike lane." (The ticket would have been far less expensive — $65 — had the drivers simply not moved their cars for Alternate Side Parking.) According to the resident, this was the first time — at least the past seven years — that the city ticketed drivers for such an offense during street cleaning.

The bike lane is new along here, however. In late June, the city added pavement markings and signage on Third Street between Avenue D and Second Avenue.

In response to increased road fatalities this year (an 18.3-percent increase over 2018) and including 15 cyclists, Mayor de Blasio in early July ordered the NYPD and DOT to crackdown on drivers and cars parked in bike lanes.

As Curbed noted, "The heightened enforcement seeks to target violations including speeding, running lights, not yielding to bikers and pedestrians, obstructing bike lanes, and double parking from July 1–21." (Of course, the NYPD is often the worst offenders of parking in bike lanes.)

In any event, cycling activists weren't impressed by the mayor's directive earlier this month. As Jon Orcutt of Bike NY told Streetsblog on July 2. "Treating it like a momentary aberration won’t protect cyclists in August or thereafter."

As for the resident, she wishes at the very least that the 9th Precinct would have given residents a heads up about the ticketing blitz, which will likely cease after July 21.

Reader reports: The NYPD forcibly stops a Citi Biker on Avenue A for his own safety

[Photo by Dave from 7th Street]

Multiple reader reports are coming in from earlier this evening about an NYPD Interceptor SUV who cut off a Citi Bike rider on Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Seventh Street.

Several witnesses say that the NYPD pursued the Citi Biker after ran a series of red lights starting on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place.

The video clip below captures the officer explaining the NYPD's actions.

Per the office: "At this point you are being forcefully stopped because, essentially, you are driving recklessly and refusing to stop after multiple lawful orders that you looked and acknowledged so I am going to use whatever means necessary to stop you. And that’s for your safety."

#NYPD run over #nyc #bicycle to stop them from running a red light ton”prevent reckless driving.” pic.twitter.com/AITjqNwYiZ

— Garvey Rich (@Garvey_Rich) July 5, 2019

The officer saying that they "forcibly stopped" the Citi Bike rider for his safety drew laughter from onlookers.

The cyclist did not appear to suffer any injuries after being forced off the Avenue.

Wow pic.twitter.com/pfKUxbw3qy

— Liam Quigley (@_elkue) July 5, 2019

So far in 2019, 15 cyclists have died on NYC streets — five more than all of 2018. Earlier this week, Mayor de Blasio and the NYPD released details on a three-week initiative "aimed at reducing bike-related injuries and fatalities," per Gothamist.

The mayor had released this statement on Monday evening:

We are seeing a dangerous surge in cyclist deaths on our streets, and we are taking action. I have directed the NYPD to immediately launch a major enforcement action that will encompass every precinct and crack down on dangerous driving behavior like parking in bike lanes.

At the same time, I have charged the Department of Transportation with developing a new cyclist safety plan to make biking in our city safer. No loss of life on our streets is acceptable. Last year was the safest year on record — and we have to keep pushing the envelope and increasing our efforts until we achieve Vision Zero.

As one witness told us about this evening's police action: "The NYPD using their vehicle as a weapon on a bicycle adds another element to the unsafe conditions for cyclists in NYC."

Updated 7/6

The Post has part of a statement from the NYPD on the incident:

“When approached by officers, the individual jumped off his bike and it became wedged in between the police vehicle and a parked vehicle. Precinct leadership is reviewing the matter.”

Here’s what happened - Officers observed cyclist running through 2 red lights, wearing headphones while biking, & failing to comply w/ a lawful order. When approached by cops, cyclist jumped the bike & it became wedged between the police vehicle and a parked vehicle.

— NYPD DCPI (@NYPDDCPI) July 6, 2019

Report: Double-parked motorist arrested for striking 2 firefighters on 6th Street

The Post has a report on a double-parked motorist who hit two firefighters as she drove up on the curb to avoid their ladder truck.

Per the Post:

Victoria Sotomayor, 28, was double-parked near Avenue B and East 6th Street at about 2:30 p.m. [yesterday] when firefighters from a nearby firehouse parked at Avenue C and East 6th while responding to a call, sources said.

Sotomayor allegedly ran up to the firefighters and screamed at them, claiming they almost hit her car when they pulled into their parking spot, the sources said.

She then allegedly drove onto the curb to get around their ladder truck, but hit two firefighters in the process, injuring a 27-year-old smoke-eater’s hands, the sources said.

According to the Post, she drove off, and was caught be members of the NYPD and FDNY on Sixth Street at the FDR, where she was arrested. She was reportedly released with a desk appearance ticket for leaving the scene of an accident with injuries.

EVG Etc.: City finally vowing to (temporarily) do something about reckless drivers

[Ghost bike for East Village resident Chaim Joseph]

Now that 15 cyclists have been killed by cars or trucks on NYC streets already this year (up from 10 all of 2018), the NYPD yesterday announced that it is launching a citywide bicycle safety plan.

Per The Wall Street Journal:

Officers will step up enforcement of vehicles that speed, run red lights or fail to yield to pedestrians, NYPD officials said. They will also increase the ticketing of drivers who are texting or talking on their phone without a headset, the officials said.

NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill also said at an unrelated press conference Tuesday that officers will also make sure bike lanes are clear of vehicles, especially police cars. Officers caught using bike lanes illegally may face a variety of internal administrative consequences, such as a reprimand from a supervisor or a disciplinary letter, he said.

And...

“We absolutely have an emergency on our hands,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday night during a television interview.

The enforcement will run through July 21.

Reactions:

• NYPD announces plan to temporarily improve bike safety after slew of cyclist deaths (Daily News)

• NYPD Promises To Crack Down On Reckless Drivers For A Few Weeks (Gothamist)

• NYPD’s Reckless Driver ‘Crackdown’ is a Breezy Three-Week Affair (Streetsblog)

• DOT’s Forthcoming ‘Cycling Safety Plan’ Won’t Likely Break the Car Culture (Streetsblog)

The NYPD's MO has been to ticket cyclists instead of drivers in areas where a fatality occurred.

Meanwhile, coming up next week, Transportation Alternatives is staging a “die-in” in Washington Square Park ...

Three cyclists were killed last week. Drivers have killed 15 people on bikes this year — more than double the number killed this time last year. pic.twitter.com/VLYOSEaYJm

— Transportation Alternatives (@TransAlt) July 2, 2019

Chaim Joseph, a 72-year-old East Village resident, was one of the 15 cycling victims this year. He was struck by a private oil truck shortly before 6 a.m. on Feb. 4 while he was riding in the bike lane near the intersection of Eighth Avenue and West 45th Street.

The NYPD arrested 56-year-old Queens resident Kenneth Jackson, who worked for Brooklyn-based Approved Oil company. Jackson was charged with failure to yield and failure to exercise due care. He faces a maximum of 30 days in jail — although such sentences are rare, as Streetsblog noted.

NYPD seeks info on this burglary suspect who entered an unlocked apartment

The NYPD is looking for the following suspect... info via the EVG inbox this morning...

It was reported to police that on Wednesday, June 19 at 10:30 a.m., inside a residential building located in the vicinity of East 6th Street and 1st Avenue, an unidentified individual entered an apartment on the third floor through an unlocked front door and removed a Dell Laptop and a Michael Kors watch before fleeing through the front door, to parts unknown.

The individual is described as a male Hispanic, medium build, 50 to 60-years-old with a light complexion and grey hair. He was last seen wearing a grey t-shirt, a grey hooded sweat jacket and dark colored pants.

Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online. All calls are confidential.

The NYPD is looking for suspect who stole bike from building's courtyard

The NYPD is looking for the following suspect... info via the EVG inbox this afternoon...

It was reported to police that on Saturday, June 8, at approximately 12:30 p.m., at a residential building in the vicinity of East 6th Street and 2nd Avenue, the male forced open the building's rear exterior door to gain entry into the building's rear courtyard. Once inside, he removed the 33-year-old male victim's bicycle.

The person wanted for questioning is described as a light complexioned male; last seen wearing a dark colored baseball cap, a black hooded sweater, black pants and light colored shoes.

Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online. All calls are strictly confidential.

Report: Man attacks M15 with a knife on 2nd Avenue

[Montage via @Pix11]

A knife-wielding man attacked an M15 last around 8 on Second Avenue between 13th Street and 14th Street, according to witnesses and multiple published reports.

Here's WABC-TV with some narrative:

The seemingly emotionally disturbed man stopped traffic and climbed onto the MTA bus, then began stabbing the front of the bus with some kind of object.

Eventually he was stopped and taken down by the bus driver and some Good Samaritans until police arrived.

"I opened up the doors and told him listen, you've got to get off the bus or get off the bumper," said the driver, Louis Huertas. "Sure enough he pulls a knife out on me and starts coming after me. After he broke the windshield wiper somebody yelled, 'yo he put the knife away'. When I asked were they sure, they said yeah he put the knife in his front left pocket. That's when I went ahead and grabbed him and swung him and threw him on the floor."

And via Twitter...

Another crazy day in NYC #unionsquare #mtaselectbus #nyc pic.twitter.com/LElZU3A4fJ

— katelyn (@vxkatelyn) June 7, 2019

Charges are pending against the bus assailant, per WABC.

You can find other reports at CBS 2 and PIX 11.

[Updated] Reader report: Police SUV strikes cyclist on 1st Avenue and St. Mark's Place

According to several readers, an Interceptor SUV from the NYPD's 9th Precinct was traveling north along First Avenue — with its siren on and lights flashing — when it struck a cyclist crossing at St. Mark's Place this afternoon just before 4.

Witnesses believe that the cyclist, riding an e-bike and heading east, had the green light.

The images here are screengrabs from a 6-minute video that a reader shared showing the aftermath of the collision. (From the look of the crowd that had gathered, multiple people were filming this.)

The force of the impact propelled the cyclist into an area on First Avenue where a Verizon crew was working. One man on a hoverboard, a constant presence in the video, says: "He almost flew inside the truck! That's how hard they hit him."







From the video, the cyclist seems to be in a great deal of pain, screaming when the EMTs try to place him on a stretcher. He motions that he broke a leg. (The reader claims that the NYPD tried to make the man get up before the EMTs arrived, though that wasn't on the video.)







You can see the indentation where the SUV struck the cyclist...



We'll update when we receive more information about what happened and the cyclist's condition.

Updated 5/31

Patch follows up our story with a few more details.

The police were responding to a 911 call in which a 15-year-old boy was slashed at 14th Street and First Avenue.

The cyclist, 36, was taken to Bellevue with back and leg injuries.

And: "After the incident, cops slapped the e-biker with a summons for failing to yield to an emergency vehicle and operating an e-bike."

[Updated] NYPD releases pics of suspect wanted for smashing LinkNYC kiosks

[Image via @Machiz]

Updated 4/25: Police made an arrest.

As Gothamist reported, someone smashed 30-some LinkNYC data harvesters kiosks around the city over the weekend, including on 14th Street. You can read all about it here.

Anyway, the 9th Precinct tweeted out pics of the suspect...

Here’s a still photo of the suspect responsible for damaging several @LinkNYC kiosks throughout #Manhattan —He’s #WANTED for #CriminalMischief. DM @NYPDTips with any information or ☎️ (212) 477-7447. pic.twitter.com/3eiRGkenhH

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) April 24, 2019

About the NYPD cracking down on bikes without bells Saturday in Tompkins Square Park

[Screengrab from YouTube]

In case you were wondering about the large NYPD presence in Tompkins Square Park on Saturday afternoon... an estimated 50 cops turned up in the Park ahead of the sixth annual "420 Bake and Race" biking event.

According to published reports, organizer Shardy Nieves was arrested before the event started.

Per Streetsblog:

Nieves said as he walking into the park, he was greeted by the police officers — and one officer showed him a folder full of social media posts promoting the event, whose name is a cheeky pun for marijuana use, though Nieves claimed it actually refers to baked goods and pizza that the riders enjoy after the race.

Nonetheless, he was arrested on what cops said was an outstanding open container warrant.

The timing of his arrest the day of his racing event was suspicious, according to Nieves, who said he was pulled over this past summer for running a red light and was told his record was clean.

Following his arrest, police reportedly took Nieves to his home borough in the Bronx, where a judge dismissed the charges.

Meanwhile, the NYPD wasn't done in Tompkins Square Park.

Back to Streetsblog:

Police also wrote up cyclists, most of whom were kids of color, for not having bells on their bikes.

Cops confiscated their bikes and brought them to the local [9th] Precinct. Several kids had to wait hours to get them back, according to social media reports and one of the victims.

Here are some of the bikes confiscated by NYPD. They were taken from kids who were not riding them. pic.twitter.com/NsKEBOWTu1

— Liam Quigley (@_elkue) April 20, 2019

Brandon, Chris, and Marc just left the 9th pct after being here since 1:30pm. They all got tickets for no bells, though people offered them bells to install while getting tickets. pic.twitter.com/M7AfJgMgmj

— Liam Quigley (@_elkue) April 20, 2019

The NYPD left Tompkins Square Park for Union Square.

At least 20 NYPD officers here telling about 8 kids on BMX bikes to leave Union Square because they were...sitting on the steps #VisionZero pic.twitter.com/AFWxiPcbsK

— Christopher Robbins (@ChristRobbins) April 20, 2019

You can read the account of the day via this post at Gothamist. (There's also this 30-minute video taken during the NYPD's time in Tompkins.)

Council Speaker Corey Johnson shared his thoughts on the NYPD's actions on Saturday in this tweet...

We should be encouraging cycling by making people feel safe biking on our streets, not targeting cyclists for overly punitive crackdowns. We have to do better than this. https://t.co/rVth8o8inJ

— NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson (@NYCSpeakerCoJo) April 22, 2019

Safe street advocates wonder why the city won't give the same attention to reckless drivers. Citing NYPD statistics, Gothamist reported that traffic fatalities in New York City this year have increased by 41 percent compared to the same time period of 2018.

Said City Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez, chair of the council's Transportation Committee: "There are other priorities that the men and women of the NYPD should have, especially fighting crimes. Targeting cyclists should not be their priority. ...We don't have a history of cyclists being involved in crashes in a number that is alarming. So I hope the NYPD stops this type of practice and focuses their resources to fight crimes."

In a statement to Gothamist, NYPD spokesperson Detective Denise Moroney said:

The detail was in response to a large gathering of bicyclists called “420 Bake and Race” advertising smoking marijuana and traveling on New York City roadways to various locations. There was a total of four summons written for no bell on a bicycle (1236-B of the VTL) in the area of the park. There were a total of four bicycles were taken into custody for the violation and once the violation was corrected (bell affixed to the bicycle) all bicycles were returned in a 24-hour period. One person was taken into custody for an outstanding warrant. Members of the public and the NYPD have a shared responsibility to ensure safety for all navigating the streets of the city.

The "420 Bake and Race" ended up happening after all, just a little later than originally planned and without as many participants.

Sources:
• NYPD Intimidates and Cracks Down on Cyclists For No Good Reason (Streetsblog)

• NYPD Seizes Bikes Without Bells, Arrests Cyclist Leading Group Ride (Gothamist)

The 9th Precinct's monthly Community Council Meeting is tomorrow (Tuesday!) night

🗓 Make a note to yourself... our next Community Council Meeting will take place this Tuesday, 3/19 at 7:00pm, at the 9th Precinct—2nd Fl., 321 E. 5th Street. Come, be heard, and meet your Neighborhood Coordination Officers. #NYPDConnecting pic.twitter.com/fbJi2s0Bon

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) March 17, 2019

These are held the third Tuesday of the month over at the 9th Precinct on Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

This is an opportunity for residents to address any concerns and ask 9th Precinct officials for their input on recent crime statistics.

Police looking for barrier-tossing tag suspect on Bleecker Street

Wanted for an ASSAULT that occurred on Bleecker St & Elizabeth St #Manhattan @NYPD9Pct. Have you seen them? Do you know these individuals?☎️Call 1-800-577-TIPS or DM us!📞Calls are anonymous.💰You may receive up to a $2500 REWARD! #YourCityYourCall @ABC7NY pic.twitter.com/UtFi3ZzRj2

— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) February 26, 2019

Earlier today, the NYPD released details of an attempted assault with a metal barrier on Jan. 20.

The incident occurred just before noon on a Sunday on Bleecker near Elizabeth.

Jaclyn Doherty, 26, told this to the Daily News:

"I thought he was maybe saving a parking spot," she remembered. "He didn't look crazy or anything."

A moment later, the suspect flung the barrier in their direction. Her friend managed to dodge it. Doherty wasn’t so lucky.

"I was just in shock," she said, adding that what happened next creeped her out even more. “He said, 'Tag, you're it.' and kind of ran off.”

"It seemed like he wanted us to follow him," she remembered, shrugging off her experience to life in the big city. "It's New York City, people do weird things."

Doherty reportedly suffered a few cuts and bruises, though medical treatment wasn't required.

According to the News, the suspect was described as black, about 20, 5-feet-5 and 140 pounds. He was wearing a black track suit with white stripes, plus a gray hoodie, gray Champion sweatpants and black sneakers, cops said.Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.