Violence breaks out on quiet 238th St.

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Last week got off to a violent start with three separate incidents on West 238th Street near Waldo Avenue.

The first occurred on Sunday night, Sept. 7, when police responded to a 911 call about a shot fired at An Beal Bocht Café at 445 W. 238th St. Two witnesses at the scene informed police that a dog bowl flew up into the air when the shot was fired, but there were no injuries. 

The police are unsure whether the weapon used fired a bullet or a BB, but they are still investigating, according to police reports.

“They think it was more of a [gang] initiation thing, because they could have shot at the windows but they ended up just shooting a dog bowl,” said Bronagh Harmon, an employee at An Beal who worked the night of the incident but did not witness the shot. “There was no hole in it or anything, so they think it could have been just a BB gun, a kind of a dare thing. The cops haven’t been up since.”

An unknown passenger fired the shot from what could have been a black Honda Civic and the incident is still under investigation, according to a public safety announcement sent to Manhattan College students.

The violence continued the very next night with an altercation on 238th street at around 9 p.m. on Sept. 8. At least one person was detained in this incident according to an eyewitness.

Manhattan College student Chris Cirillo, 21, who witnessed the tail end of the incident, said he saw four police cars and at least one person being handcuffed.

“There were four or five guys who the cops were talking to. One of them got cuffed and the other ones were kind of talking at the cop, kind of intimidating him,” Cirillo said. “The cop just sat in his car and called for help, then three other cop cars showed up.”

There were no arrest reports filed for this incident, said Officer Steve Cordero of the 50th precinct.

Police also responded to a 911 call early Sunday morning, Sept. 14, about an altercation in the street between Manhattan College’s Overlook Manor dormitory and Fenwick’s Bar & Grill on W 238th street. 

There were about four male victims in their 20’s. Police are currently searching for a suspect described as a male Caucasian, around 35 years old, who may have fled in a black vehicle. As a result of the incident at least one Manhattan College student was hospitalized, according to witnesses.

gunshots, An Beal Bocht, Natalie E. Sullivan