A 23-year-old man from Harlem, Dominick Sabater, was arrested for allegedly spraying bear spray at a large crowd of Pride revelers in Washington Square Park. The incident occurred as the crowd reached about 1,000 people, causing chaos and injuries.
Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny explained that the park had become overcrowded, leading to a decision to stop letting more people in. Sabater reportedly used the bear spray as a deterrent to protect himself from potential harm, fearing that he might be attacked or get involved in a fight.
As a result of the bear spray incident, 47 people were treated at the scene by EMS, with four others taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition. Additionally, twelve police officers who were exposed to the spray also required treatment at Northwell Greenwich Village Hospital for various injuries.
Witnesses described a scene of panic and chaos, with people vomiting and struggling to breathe after being exposed to the spray. Some individuals even crashed through a steel police fence in an attempt to escape the substance. The photographer captured images of injured individuals, including both civilians and police officers, who were affected by the spray.
Sabater was arrested at the scene and faces multiple charges, including assault, reckless endangerment, obstruction of governmental administration, menacing, criminal possession of a weapon, and unlawful possession of a noxious material. This is not Sabater’s first brush with the law, as he has a prior arrest for assault in 2021.
The incident at Washington Square Park was just one of the many incidents that marred the Pride festivities in New York City. Later that evening, a shooting left a 17-year-old girl injured and another teen fighting for their life near the Stonewall Inn, a historic site for the LGBTQ+ community. A third teen girl was also slashed during the chaotic events.
The aftermath of the bear spray incident and subsequent violence highlights the need for better security and crowd control measures during large public events. The safety and well-being of all attendees should be a top priority to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
