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Heavily armed in war of words
July 22, 2005
Here is the police report of Det. Thomas Rossi of the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police after he and his partner, Officer Roman Galloza, arrested NYPD Deputy Commissioner Garry McCarthy.
"On 02/18/05 at approximately 2350 hours, I was on plainclothes detail with PO Galloza. We were located in the northbound Sunoco station enforcing parking violations. While PO Galloza was writing that summons, I observed a black in color Ford Explorer back in from the exit of the Sunoco station and park his vehicle in violation of park statute 408 ... (impeding the flow of vehicle/pedestrian traffic) next to the passenger side of J23. A white male later identified as Garry McCarthy exited that vehicle and approached the passenger side. ...
"McCarthy was dressed in business-like attire and he had a silver in color semiautomatic handgun in his waistband visible to the public; he had no badge/shield displayed or any form of identification displayed as well. McCarthy walked up to the passenger side window and was right in the face of PO Galloza, yelling and obstructing our traffic stop. McCarthy identified himself as the deputy commissioner of the New York City Police Department but did not produce a badge/shield or identification.
"McCarthy was speaking in a loud tone and as he was speaking a white female later identified as Regina McCarthy was yelling obscenities at us from the passenger seat of the black Ford. McCarthy asked myself and PO Galloza which one of us issued his daughter a parking summons. I explained that I was the officer who issued the summons and McCarthy said loudly you knew who the -- I was before you issued the summons and that is --. I tried to reasonably speak with McCarthy in a low tone and McCarthy kept escalating the situation with hand gestures and profane language. At this time a small crowd gathered around the area and began to watch as McCarthy continued yelling at us. McCarthy said numerous times very loudly to myself and PO Galloza to go -- ourselves," and he also invited the officers to perform a sexual act on him as well, according to the report.
When the cops asked McCarthy to leave, he continued on with a stream of vulgar expressions, one invoking his own mother, Rossi's report said. When Rossi asked McCarthy to leave before he charged him with weapons possession, McCarthy again swore at the officer, invoking two sexual acts.
"At that time PO Galloza forced the door to J23 open by kicking it open. PO Galloza had to do this because McCarthy was creating a physical interference by having his body against the door of the vehicle. Once PO Galloza was out of the vehicle, I observed him place McCarthy in an arm bar. I immediately exited the vehicle and observed McCarthy resisting arrest.
"McCarthy was resisting by lunging from side to side and I grabbed the handgun out of his waistband for officer safety and threw it in the front seat of J23. PO Galloza brought him to the rear of J23. During the course of the struggle, McCarthy's wife got into the driver's side seat from the passenger side seat and lunged out of the vehicle. She stated 'That is my husband's -- gun.'
"She reached for the handgun and I had to jump on her back and take the gun out of her hand. I placed her into handcuffs and placed her against my police vehicle. I was able to call for back up when I was inside of the vehicle. Shortly thereafter, officers Durham and Peralta arrived on scene and assisted us in securing both McCarthy and his wife in the back seat of their patrol car. Both McCarthy and his wife were detained for investigation purposes and transported to headquarters.
"Both parties were issued PV summonses and released from headquarters. This matter is still under investigation and other charges may be pending."
McCarthy, his wife and daughter Kyla, who was summonsed for parking in a handicapped zone, have pleaded not guilty. No trial date has been set.
Neither McCarthy nor Deputy Commissioner for Public Information Paul Browne - who said at the time that McCarthy's actions did not warrant an internal investigation - returned calls yesterday.
