Suspect charged for bear spray attack that sparked massive stampede during NYC Pride

A 23-year-old New Yorker, Dominick Sabater, was arrested for allegedly using bear spray on a crowd of Pride revelers inside Washington Square Park. The incident occurred as the crowd swelled to about 1,000 people, with Sabater reportedly using the spray out of fear of being assaulted himself. Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny explained that the park became overcrowded, leading to a decision to prevent more people from entering. As officers responded to a disturbance, Sabater used the spray as a deterrent to keep the crowd away from him.

The chaos resulted in 47 individuals being treated by EMS at the scene, with four others taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition. Additionally, a dozen police officers exposed to the spray were also treated at Northwell Greenwich Village Hospital. Sabater now faces multiple charges, including assault, reckless endangerment, obstruction of governmental administration, menacing, criminal possession of a weapon, and unlawful possession of a noxious material.

This is not Sabater’s first brush with the law, as he had a prior arrest for assault in October 2021. In that incident, he allegedly assaulted a driver by reaching through the window and hitting him in the eye with a cellphone. The circumstances of his release following that arrest are unclear.

The incident at Washington Square Park was just one of the events marred by violence during the Pride festivities. Later that evening, a burst of gunfire near the historic Stonewall Inn left a 17-year-old girl injured and another teen fighting for their life. A third teenage girl was also slashed in the chaos that ensued.

Sabater’s arraignment was pending as of Monday afternoon, as authorities continue to investigate the events that led to the use of bear spray and the subsequent injuries sustained by multiple individuals.