INDEPENDENCE DAY MELEE: Nyack Plaza site of July 4th stabbing and gun shots, cops and witnesses say

BY CAROL MCILMURRAY

NYACK- Fighting broke out around Nyack Plaza leading to at least one stabbing, multiple shots fired into the sky and three arrests following the Village of Nyack-sponsored fireworks show Tuesday night, July 4.

According to police and eyewitness accounts a group of mostly young people on the Artopee Way side of the Plaza community housing project became rowdy for unknown reasons. One man was stabbed in the face, police said.

One member of crowd who identified himself as Adonis Deebo, 25, said he was standing next to the fight and knew at least two people who were arrested. “There were kids drinking out in the parking lot with fireworks going off in sky, something [was] bound to happen.”

When Rockland County Times asked if the fight was gang related Deebo said, “I wouldn’t say it was gang related.” Rather, he said it was about “old neighborhood drama.”

Deebo said there was occasional patrolling of the neighborhood by Orangetown Police through the night, but no cops were present when the fight started. Clarkstown and Orangetown PD responded rapidly after shots were fired and broke up the post gun-shot melee, he said.

According to Orangetown PD one of the suspects fled from the scene by foot. Two shell casings were found within a few blocks of Nyack Plaza. One shell casing was located outside of an unoccupied car and the other was found inside a vacant apartment, both on Depew Ave.

Orangetown PD said a 52-year-old man was charged with assault and two 21-year-old men were charged with disorderly conduct. Orangetown cops also said that Piermont, South Nyack and Rockland Sheriff Dept. officers helped respond to the incident and clear out the crowd.