Scene from the incident (Image via @lambomursy Twitter)
June 4, 2020 By Michael Dorgan
A knife-wielding man who tried to attack a crowd of peaceful demonstrators in Whitestone on Wednesday has been arrested.
Frank Cavalluzzi, 54, faces a number of charges – including criminal possession of a weapon – following his attempt to attack protesters on Clintonville Street, according to police.
About 10 young demonstrators had assembled on a bridge above the Cross Island Parkway at around 3:45 p.m. to protest the killing of George Floyd last week. They had also posted several signs along the fence.
Cavalluzzi, who lives on 150th Street in Flushing, was seen arguing with the demonstrators while he was driving by in his gray 2003 SUV.
Protesters could be heard yelling, “white trash, bitch,” and “fuck you,” in an online video.
Cavalluzzi could be heard shouting to the crowd, “you’re in the wrong neighborhood.”
Police said that Cavalluzzi then pulled up alongside the protesters. He got out of the car and ran at the crowd while waving a bladed weapon.
The medieval-looking device, which Cavalluzzi had strapped to his right arm, appeared to have two long blades and two shorter blades on the outside, according to social media footage.
“You wanna throw shit at my car, you wanna throw shit at my car,” Cavalluzzi could be heard shouting as he went at people in the crowd.
Cavalluzzi did not strike anyone with the weapon, police said.
According to the police complaint, Cavalluzzi then got back into his SUV, hit the gas and turned the vehicle around. He mounted the sidewalk and drove the vehicle at high speed in the direction of the protesters.
The protesters scrambled away from the car without being hit. They told the police they feared for their lives.
The car then sped off the sidewalk and turned left onto Cross Island Parkway, according to videos posted on social media. The SUV appeared to head in an eastward direction along Cross Island Parkway.
right now this man in Whitestone New York was threatening people with a sword/multiple blades and then drove right through them ….. someone find out who he is right now pic.twitter.com/BrHcZGRWMr
— moo (@lambomursy) June 2, 2020
Police said were no reported injuries as a result of the incident.
Cavalluzzi has also been charged with six counts of reckless endangerment and seven counts of menacing.
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