Arverne resident Adrian Harry, 28, was sentenced Wednesday to 40 years to life in prison for stabbing two people after an argument over a parking spot outside an Ozone Park hookah lounge in December 2017.
Immediately following the altercation, Harry got into his vehicle and intentionally drove it into a crowd of people gathered on the sidewalk — striking five of them and fatally running over his friend, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Harry, of Beach 67th Street in Arverne, was convicted last month of murder, three counts of attempted murder, three counts of assault, and related charges before Queens Supreme Court Justice Pandit-Durant.
According to trial testimony, in the early morning hours of Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017, Harry became involved in an altercation with several men over a parking spot in front of the XS NYC lounge located on Liberty Avenue near 127th Street. Harry jumped out of his vehicle, along with his friend 23-year-old Richardo Chattergoon, wrapped a knife to his hand with a belt and stabbed two of the men, and fled. The two victims, along with four others, ran after Harry and his friend. Chattergoon was caught by some of the men, and they punched and kicked him to the ground. Harry made it back to his car and drove it up on the sidewalk, intentionally striking the group, sending some of them airborne, causing serious injuries, and fatally crushing Chattergoon, who was lying on the sidewalk.
Harry drove away from the scene despite massive damage to the vehicle. He was ultimately identified when one of the victims saw him at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where Harry sought treatment for a cut on his finger sustained during the initial altercation.
“This defendant who decided to handle a minor argument over a parking spot with a knife and then fatally ran over his own friend will now spend a lengthy time in prison for his actions,” Katz said.
Justice Pandit-Durant imposed the sentence of 25 years to life in prison for the murder charge to run concurrently with sentences of 25 years in prison for each of the attempted murder charges and 15 years in prison to be served consecutively to the attempted murder sentences with a cumulative sentence of 40 years to life in prison.
