Community Corner

Video: President St. Block Party Brawl Leaves Neighbors Questioning Safety

Cops responded to several 911 calls on Saturday for a Carroll Gardens block party


A tense video of a Carroll Gardens block party taken over the weekend may leave neighbors feeling less social, as it captures a group of agressive men engaging in a fight and verbally threatening a nearby homeowner.

On Saturday, July 14, President Street was closed between Court and Clinton Streets, with block residents convening outside in the summer ritual of shared food and merriment. But festivities quickly turned foul, said some residents, when a large pack of inebriated men began to shout loudly and get physical.

Note: There is excessive profanity between the man videotaping and his subjects. This is not family-friendly viewing.

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"The block party this year was much more wild than in years before," said one block resident, who only spoke to Patch on condition of anonymity. "I didn't actually witness the event. We had walked by several times and made the decision to avoid the block for the rest of the day due to the amount of drinking going on."

The confirmed to Carroll Gardens Patch, however, that officers responded to multiple 911 calls regarding the President Street fight. No summons were issued or arrests made, said cops, which means the fight was either over by the time a unit arrived or not enough was happening to conduct enforcement. 

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But while most homeowners observed the incident from a distance, one resident took it upon himself to film the fight—becoming a target in the process. 

YouTube user Joseph Goodrich's recordings are featured in our gallery above. In the first video, the point of view is from a stoop on the north side of President Street near Clinton, and trails a group of men in a heated exchange with a woman who appears to be trying to leave but briefly gets knocked into a parked car.

In the second, Goodrich enters onto the pavement and follows the group as they idle and argue near Clinton Street, until one menacing member marches up to him.

"What are you taking pictures of, bro? You can't take pictures!" he shouts in a decidedly uneighborly tone, before knocking the camera down. 

Unlike street fairs, which are open to the public and attract large crowds, officers of the 76 Precinct do not generally maintain a presence at block parties, cops told Patch. 

But some assert that this fight is indicative of an uptick in hostile block activity overall.

"It's the second time in a month or two that 911 has been called on the block over a fight in public," said another anonymous resident.

Community Board 6, which issues permits for block party street closures, was unavailable for comment on the street fight as of press time.

If neighbors are concerned for their safety, they are encouraged to call 311 or 911 during an incident. Or, reach out to Detective Paul Grudzinski at the 76 Precinct to discuss this matter directly.

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