Fatal bridge crash
A young Brooklyn woman celebrating her birthday was killed early on Thurs., March 16, when the car driven by an allegedly drunk New York Police Department traffic agent went out of control on the Manhattan side of the Williamsburg Bridge.
Amanda Miner, 21, of Southside Williamsburg, was pronounced dead at the scene after the 3:14 a.m. crash. The car’s driver, Officer Stefan Hoyte, and a 24-year-old man who was the front-seat passenger, were both taken to Bellevue Hospital with minor injuries and listed in stable condition.
An investigation by the N.Y.P.D. Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad determined that the gray 2013 Infinity four-door sedan was traveling eastbound on the bridge, struck the median dividing the inner and outer roadways, and then struck a support pillar. Miner, the rear-seat passenger, was ejected from the vehicle and came to rest in the roadway.
Hoyte was charged with vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, driving while intoxicated and imprudent speed.
9th detective dies
Detective Shaniqua Osborne, 42, a 19-year veteran officer at the Ninth Precinct, died after suffering a massive heart attack around 7:30 p.m. Thurs., March 16, while on duty at the E. Fifth St. stationhouse.
She died soon after at “a local hospital,” according to a report on the NJ Blue Now Facebook page. She was a married mother and also a sister to an N.Y.P.D. sergeant, the Facebook page said.
Captain Vincent Greany, the precinct’s commanding officer, announced the tragic news at the March 21 meeting of the Ninth Precinct Community Council.
The precinct’s Twitter account posted the message: “With heavy hearts we mourn the loss of Det Shaniqua Osbourne, a 19 year vet of the pct. An amazing soul that will not be forgotten.”
Later that night, a switchboard operator at the precinct said Osborne lived on Long Island. There will be a service for her on Friday afternoon in Jamaica, Queens, at the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral, 110-31 Merrick Boulevard, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Bad management
According to police, a supervisor got a little too heavy-handed with an employee in front of 160 W. 12th St. on Mon., March 13 at 7 a.m.
A man, 36, told cops that he and his supervisor got into an argument over his dismissal time. The dispute escalated and the manager, Christian Cruz-Rodriguez, 32, allegedly punched the victim, causing a cut to his lip.
Cruz-Rodriguez was arrested for misdemeanor assault.
Vape scrape
Police said a man was violently attacked with a vaporizer in front of 228 Bleecker St. at 4 a.m. on Sat., March 18. The victim, 41, stated that the suspect hit him in the face with the metal vaporizer several times. The attack caused swelling, contusions, a cut to the head and substantial pain. He was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital for treatment.
Joshua D. Wallace, 31, was arrested for felony assault. It wasn’t immediately clear what sparked the attack.
Snapple attack
A man was attacked inside the Rite Aid at 501 Sixth Avenue on Sun., March 19, at 6:55 p.m., police said. Cops said the suspect charged the victim, 21, knocking him to the ground, and punching him while he was down. The suspect also threw a glass Snapple bottle at the other man.
The alleged attacker, Carlos Pizarro, 24, also reportedly resisted arrest by flailing his arms and refusing to be handcuffed. He was charged with felony assault.
Mouth mauler
A domestic assault occurred Sun., Mar. 19, at 4:05 a.m. inside 7 Carmine St., police said. The victim, a 24-year-old woman, said she and her husband got into an argument and he jammed his fingers into her mouth and forcefully stretched it open, causing bruising, bleeding and pain. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the suspect also bit her on the arm.
John Doe, 23, was arrested for misdemeanor assault.
ICE’y arrests
Twenty-five protesters were arrested for civil disobediance after they knelt down to pray and blocked traffic outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center at 75 Varick St. last Thurs., March 16.
The protesters were part of a citywide coalition of multifaith and faith-based congregations.
According to a press release, “Hundreds of supporters looked on and stood by in support to call on the mayor and the City Council to stop targeting immigrant and refugee New Yorkers and communities of color.”
The group started with a rally at Washington Square Park representing Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Hindu communities. Choirs started the program in song and dance, including a gospel rap performance from members of the Bronx artist collective Thy Wai.
The activists slammed Donald Trump’s travel ban a.k.a. “Muslim ban 2.0,” and decried the New York Police Department’s “Broken Windows” enforcement policy against low-level offenses.
They then marched through the West Village, singing and chanting, stopping at the Stonewall Inn to say prayers for six transgender women murdered in the first three months of this year.
“We are calling on Mayor de Blasio to decriminalize low-level offenses and fully fund legal representation for low-income New Yorkers in deportation proceedings,” said Pastor Rich Perez of Christ Crucified Fellowship.
Tabia Robinson
and Lincoln Anderson
