Taser-wielding man sparks mayhem in Washington Square Park: cops

Mayhem erupted in beleaguered Washington Square Park early Saturday when a taser-waving madman armed with a knife sent park dwellers running out of the park — trampling a woman in the process.

The woman was left covered in blood after she was “run over” in the stampede to safety, police said. Dramatic images show the victim, 43, bleeding from her face. She was taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition with cuts, scrapes and bruises, cops said.

Police collared a 42-year-old Manhattan man following the chaos. Jason McDermott is charged with menacing, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon.

The latest havoc in the famed park comes amid increasing outrage over repeated incidents of violence. Hundreds of locals packed the basement of a Greenwich Village church this week for an emergency meeting about the problems — as police officials promised to “address” their growing concerns.

It’s unclear what sparked the allegedly unhinged McDermott, 42, to begin waving a taser near a group of revelers gathered inside the park at around 12:40 a.m. He was also carrying a large knife.

Jason McDermott is charged with menacing, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon.
Jason McDermott is charged with menacing, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon.
Christopher Sadowski
A woman was left bloodied after she was "run over" in the stampede to safety.
A woman was left bloodied after she was “run over” in the stampede to safety.
Christopher Sadowski
Police set up a perimeter beneath the archway of Washington Square Park on June 18, 2021.
Police set up a perimeter beneath the archway of Washington Square Park on June 18, 2021.
Alex Kent/Getty Images
People party in Washington Square Park on June 18, 2021. The gatherings in the park have drawn numerous complaints from the community.
People party in Washington Square Park on June 18, 2021. The gatherings in the park have drawn numerous complaints from the community.
Alex Kent/Getty Images

When the park-goers made a run for cover, the woman was steamrolled by other frightened denizens.

McDermott was taken into custody without incident and police recovered the weapons at the scene. He was charged with menacing, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.

No one else was hurt, and the park remained open, the NYPD said.

Leave a Comment