Surveillance image of the suspect, via NYPD.
Police are looking for the man above, who they say walked into a church on 93rd street on Monday and displayed a gun, according to Gothamist:
“According to an NYPD release, the suspect entered The Advent Lutheran Church at Broadway and 93rd Street last Monday at around 8:30 a.m. The suspect approached a 60-year-old man, then displayed a “black firearm” and said, “I’m going to kill people,” before fleeing.
No one was injured in the encounter. Police describe the suspect as a 5’8,” 180-pound white male in his 30s; he was wearing a grey jacket and black jeans at the time the incident occurred.”
Update: A police source tells us the man also said he was “a hired mercenary of the Stamford, CT, Police Department. Therefore, we do believe that we are dealing with someone who has a disordered mind. Either way, we notified our counterparts at Stamford.”
If you have information, you can confidentially call 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), submit a tip via www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or text CRIMES (274637) and then enter TIP577.
“Police describe the suspect as a 5’8,” 180-pound white male in his 30s.”
Why is it necessary to describe the perpetrator as “white”? There are many white people who do not commit crimes. This is just a continuation of an unfortunate stereotype about white people that we enlightened UWSers should be striving to put to rest.
And “The suspect approached a 60-year-old man, then displayed a “black firearm” and said, “I’m going to kill people,” before fleeing.” There are many black firearms that are not used to threaten people with death; why do we need to include that description when it only serves to foster those unfortunate stereotypes?
I’m sure everyone will agree that our society would be so much better served if reports of this type said only “Something happened”, and just abandon all these unfortunate, outdated and meaningless stereotypes.
Cato, I’m curious…In what way do you think these posts are helpful, useful, constructive or clever?
Cato’s comments are NONE of those things.
Cato asks:
Why is it necessary to describe the perpetrator as “white”?. . .
obvious answer! So our finest don’t obviously shoot the wrong man!!!
And, pray tell, who do you know carrying a firearm in New York City who isn’t using to threaten people with death?
For MONTHS, many readers of this site have posted complaints about the troubling rise in crime (of all nature) in the West 90’s. I strongly believe that the 24TH PRECINCT (W.86-110) should perform more mandatory patrols of the area. Then perhaps potential criminals (of all types) would think twice before committing a felony. Something has to change and fast!
For months, every time this website reports any incidence of crime, some of us become extremely alarmed and some post near-apocalyptic messages. The population of the Upper West Side is more than 220,000. The population of Manhattan is approximately 1.6 million. Do people realistically expect there to be no incidence of crime whatsoever? Are we really going to become breathless every time there is?
Yes, because the minute we all shrug our shoulders and say, “well, that’s life in the big city,” we help perpetuate an atmosphere that crime and a lower quality of life is somehow acceptable. It’s not. We deserve better. And while we’ll never get to a point of no incidents of crime, we should still be outraged when it happens.
@ PaulRL: Amen to this and your follow-up!
Well-said.
I do not advocate shrugging one’s shoulders (or complacency). I do advocate perspective. Crime exists. We can and should deplore it. We should do all we can (reasonably, and within the law) to prevent it. We should do all we can (reasonably, and within the law) to apprehend and prosecute criminals. But we need not become breathless and react as if the sky is falling in every time something happens. In my view, that just isn’t sensible, reasonable, rational, practical or appropriate.
Jerry, in response to your comment above (and to Martha’s below): While I understand where you’re coming from, I strongly disagree. When people dismiss the voices that call for measures to make our streets safer, it’s actually worse than being complacent. I’m sure back in the 1960’s and 1970’s, when another generation saw their neighborhoods decline, those who complained were also told by some that they were overreacting. But the sky did fall, the result was tragic, and we should not let it happen again.
Hey Cato… I think your post is very funny. Nice job!
8:30 a.m. on 93rd St is about the time students at the Manhattan School for Children on 93rd and Amsterdam are arriving at school. Given the violence towards the students in the area by other students (stealing phones, chokeholds, punching), this concerns me greatly as a parent of a middle school boy who walks by himself to school. I agree the precinct needs to step up to the plate.
MJ, I am upset by what you’re reporting. I have read many of these reports, but yours sounds so sincere. I guess your son doesn’t want to be walked to school, and I sure don’t blame him. But we can’t send children off to school knowing that others are eager to steal from them or terrorize them. Who is watching out for these kids, I wonder. Middle school is traumatizing enough. Walking to and from the building with fear in your heart is not something any of us can tolerate. This isn’t a civilized society and many, many people have to be held responsible for children’s walking to school and feeling frightened. Is this Afghanistan? That’s upsetting enough. We know we cannot make Afghanistan into our picture, our view, of a civilized society, but what about our own neighborhood? Something is tying the hands of the precinct, and don’t tell me it’s that they can’t stop and frisk. That’s ridiculous. What about that old-fashioned term called peace officers? Officers of the peace? People know where the bullies and thieves gather Break up the gangs. It’s heartbreaking to think of children walking to school and being afraid of what’s around the corner. MJ, I sympathize and I hope the precinct has listened to you complaints, which I’m sure you’ve made — I hope you have — in community meetings.
Sorry Martha and ML, but I think you are overreacting. These things (unfortunately) happen everywhere. We do live in a (reasonably) civilized society, but we do not live in a perfect society. That does not and has not ever existed. By all historical and statistical measures, our children in this day and age live an increasingly safer life. But it is wholly unrealistic to expect them to grow up without ever being (again, unfortunately) exposed to threats, danger or harm. I’m not advocating complacency or resignation, just a little reality and perspective.
Perhaps I should no longer be shocked when someone takes offense when race or skin color is used as part of a description – especially for a perpetrator of violence or other crime. But I am. Are we really so absurdly sensitive that we must blind ourselves to information that could help protect us, in order to avoid tripping the race card wire?
Can we just be honest for a moment – all of us? It really is important to know what a psychopath who wants to do us harm looks like. And, if you omit the color of his or her skin, you are leaving out something as salient as gender. This is another corrosive point on the continuum of blaming the victim.
Uh… I think it was a joke…
I knew Andy Kaufman was alive!
Even if they spot this guy in the street, they can’t stop him. Thanks to Mayor Bill de Blasio,police cannot stop anyone and question them.
Cato’s satire is apt and could perhaps be considered in the great tradition of (among others) Ambrose Bierce, H.L. Mencken and John Derbyshire.