‘Crazy’ soccer shooter in park: witness

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The statue of Roosevelt, the nation’s 26th president and an ardent conservationist, has stood near the entrance to the museum on Central Park West for 80 years.

It became the target of protesters, along with monuments to Confederate leaders and others, amid the national reckoning over race that erupted since the police killing of George Floyd last month.

Mayor De Blasio said last week that the museum has agreed to take down the statue, which he called “problematic” because of its depiction of “subservient” men of color alongside Roosevelt. No date has been set for the statue’s removal.

The New York Republican Club called on its members to show support for the statue. About 100 of them showed up, many wearing regalia supporting President Trump. An equal number of counterprotesters turned up to denounce the statue as a symbol of a dark chapter in American history.

Geraldine Hawkins, 59, insisted that Roosevelt remains an American hero.

“You could read about Theodore Roosevelt your whole life and do yourself no end of good,” said Hawkins, a historian from Philadelphia who wrote a book about the president’s brother. “He was all about what’s good and true and beautiful.”

One of the few black protesters who defended the statue was Alice Griffin, a lawyer from the East Village. She sees nothing wrong with the statue — and praised Teddy Roosevelt as a man ahead of his times.

“He was an extraordinary man,” said Griffin, 59. “His character has been impugned by these outrageous accusations.”

A drunken man charged with shooting and wounding a soccer player in Central Park opened fire after accusing the other players of stealing from him, a witness said Sunday.

Accused shooter Ryan Nixon, 33, stumbled upon the game in progress in Central Park near Center Drive and 72nd St. around 1 a.m. Saturday and asked if he could join, according to Mohamed Azmi, a friend of the victim.

“We just didn’t like the way he approached us because he sounded crazy. So we just told him, ‘Stay back, stay away from us,‘” said Azmi, 19.

“He kept begging us to play so we kind of felt bad. So we thought about it and we’re like ‘alright let’s just pass him the ball, let him play for a couple of minutes’ and then we’ll tell him to leave.”

The group kicked around the ball until Nixon dropped his wallet. One of the victim’s friends pointed out the wallet on the ground to Nixon.

But the ungrateful drunk went berserk, claiming the friends had stolen his money from the empty wallet, according to Azmi.

“All of a sudden he just walks up to us and pulls the gun out, pointing at all four of us,” said Azmi.

“He was like, ‘I’m going to count to three. If you don’t take the money out I’m going to start shooting at you.’”

Nixon allegedly followed through on his threat, wounding Azmi’s 20-year-old friend.

“First shot, his thigh,” Azmi said. “Second shots, he was aiming at all four of us, but he missed, thank God, and we just scattered.”

Nixon bolted, but not before the group of friends followed him and then told cops nearby where he had run.

Cops nabbed Nixon in the park nearby and charged him with attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a firearm. He was taken to an area hospital for a psychological evaluation, authorities said.

Medics took the victim to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he was later discharged. He was recovering at home on Staten Island Sunday and declined to speak to a reporter.