Egging melee erupts in Broad Channel, 4 arrested

During a Halloween afternoon ruckus with undercover police, four Broad Channel residents were arrested for resisting arrest and inciting a riot after the two teenagers and 22-year-old man allegedly pelted an undercover
officers’ car with eggs and hurled racial insults at the cops.
Local residents, however, charged that the cops had used excessive force on the three young men and one mother, and reports from witnesses contradicted the cops’ account.
At the time The Courier Sun went to press, 22-year-old Robert Glade, 16-year-old Nicholas Stack, and 17-year-old Patrick Rich, as well as Rich’s 44-year-old mother Patricia were still in custody after the incident, which erupted at 4:35 p.m. on October 31.
According to the police, the young men had tried to incite a riot of the estimated 100 people trick-or-treating on Cross Bay Boulevard and shouted racial slurs at a black detective. Police are reviewing the videotape of the street from the All American Deli at West 10th Road and Cross Bay Boulevard, where the incident took place.
Patricia Rich tried to stop the cops from arresting her son after the boy allegedly jumped on the back of one of the two cops.
Jerry Rich, the 21-year-old son of Patricia and Patrick’s brother, said that his brother would not have done what police said he did.
&#8220He [Patrick] wouldn’t try to harm a cop or jump on a cop like they [the police] said,” Jerry said outside of his home on East 14th Road in Broad Channel while waiting to go to Queens Criminal Court in Jamaica to pick up his family members. At the time of the incident, Jerry said he was at school in upstate New York and traveled to Broad Channel the following morning.
Immediately following the confrontation, Patricia Rich and Stack were brought to Peninsula Hospital, the former for thumb and back injuries and the latter for headaches. At 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1st, Jerry said he believed his mother and brother would be released by 6 p.m.
When asked what he remembers from past Halloweens in Broad Channel, Jerry described the holiday as quiet.
&#8220I guess like everywhere else,” he said.
Neighbors of the boys said that Rich and Stack – who live across from one another in the only two homes on W 14th Road – were good kids that may have been up to mischief – throwing eggs and spraying shaving cream – on Halloween but meant no harm.
Joe Harnisher, who lives around the corner from the Richs and Stack, said that the police were out in force along Cross Bay Boulevard Halloween afternoon. Harnisher, a life-long resident of Broad Channel, said he had known Rich and Stack for all of their lives.
&#8220They are good kids,” he said. &#8220This is nothing new. The cops do it all the time.” &#8220They [Rich and Stack] shouldn’t throw eggs and shaving cream, but they are out having fun,” Harnisher said.
Kate Wilson, a mother of two who lives around the
corner from the Rich family and Stack, called Patrick Rich a good kid, who set a good example for Wilson's young son.
&#8220It was such a beautiful day yesterday… The streets were crowded with families out trick-or-treating and enjoying the day. I hate to see something like this
overshadow it all,” Wilson said.