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FDNY Uses Water Cannons Against Rioting Staten Island Teens
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Dec 7, 2011
Modified Dec 7, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Dec 7, 2011
Modified Dec 7, 2011
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A crowd of angry teenagers brandishing weapons in front of a house in Mariner's Point forced FDNY officers to shoot the crowd with water cannons to protect two NYPD who were attempting to make arrests. "The crowd start[ed] to jump and start beating up on the cops," a FDNY source tells the Post. One firefighter "got up on the deck gun, and he aimed at people's legs and just nailed them with water and drove them back."
The Staten-Island Advance reports that around 3:30 p.m., a group of around 50 teenagers gathered outside the house of one 15-year-old girl wielding bats, knives, and even a starter gun, and began taunting her to come outside. "It was chaos," a neighbor told the paper. "The yelling got louder and louder…they were challenging one girl." Two NYPD officers responded, and when one attempted to make an arrest, he was knocked down. "The kids were on top of the cop while the cop was arresting the first person." The second officer was knocked down as well, and called for assistance on her radio. Both officers were treated for non life-threatening injuries at Richmond University.
Because the FDNY was closer to the scene than the police, they responded first to defuse the situation. "They were very helpful," leader of the 120th Precinct Inspector John Denesopolis told the paper. "They were the closest emergency unit on the scene." Nine teens were arrested when support arrived, and their charges will likely include weapon and felony assault charges.
The 15-year-old girl, a classmate of many in the mob at Port Richmond High School, said the incident was about a petty fight that she refused to get involved with. "They were waiting for me since Thursday. They wanted to get me for a he-said, she-said." She tells the Post, “I was scared. I thought, OK, oh, my God, what am I going to do?' " The girl, who says she won't be returning to school, revealed that she has a heart condition, and the mob was taunting her for it. “They were saying, ‘You’ve got a heart condition — I’m going to hit you in the chest!’ ”
Tagged
crime
fdny
nypd
port richmond high school
riot
staten island
teenagers
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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