Breonna faceoff in Village
12 protesters arrested outside eatery in clash with cops
Twelve Breonna Taylor protesters were arrested in Greenwich Village outside a restaurant in a confrontation with cops as some diners recorded the clash on their smartphones, police said Sunday.
Eight of the protesters were released with summonses for disorderly conduct or obstructing governmental administration while four were charged and put through the system.
One of those four, Luis DeJesus, 37, of Brooklyn, was charged with assault for allegedly trying to bite a police officer after grabbing an NYPD bike and refusing to let go, police said.
The confrontation, which broke out about 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, was set in motion earlier when several dozen Black Lives Matter and other protesters gathered in Washington Square Park to protest the Louisville, Ky., police shooting death of Taylor. One officer was indicted last week, but not for causing Taylor’s death, sparking outrage across the country.
The Washington Square group had a sound system but no permit, police said. Protesters said they were dancing in the park as a way to deal with their anger and grief and that police escalated tensions by taking the sound equipment.
The group then marched to the 10th Precinct stationhouse before congregating near Cowgirl, a restaurant at W. 10th and Hudson Sts. Police say they busted those who refused an order to disperse because they were blocking traffic.
“Please be advised that pedestrians are not permitted to walk in the street or roadway,” a police prerecorded message could be heard playing, videos show.
Police used an LRAD, or long-range acoustic device, to play the message, but did not use it to emit the piercing sound that a federal court has ruled could be considered excessive force.
Some diners took the action in stride, recording the brief encounter on their phones, while others scurried away to avoid getting knocked over.
Cowgirl owner Sue Williams reportedly blamed police for interrupting an otherwise peaceful protest and said the melee cost the restaurant “at least thousands of dollars in business.”
“As you know we’re struggling to survive,” she said.