A man who threatened peaceful protesters in Whitestone with a multi-bladed weapon earlier this week was arrested and charged with attempted murder on Thursday, June 4.
Multiple videos uploaded to social media showed Frank Cavalluzzi, a 54-year-old man from Flushing, screaming at protesters and threatening them with a weapon on the Cross Island Parkway overpass in Whitestone on Tuesday, June 2.
Read more about Cavalluzzi and the Whitestone protests here.
Cavalluzzi has been charged with attempted murder in the second degree, attempted assault in the first and second degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree, menacing in the second degree, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
The incident began when Cavalluzzi pulled his car up in front of the protesters, who were calling for justice for George Floyd and supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, at the intersection of the Cross Island Parkway and Clintonville Street around 3:45 p.m., on Tuesday.
In one video, he can be seen getting out of his car and yelling at protesters for allegedly throwing an object as his vehicle.
Cavalluzzi then chased the protesters with the weapon, which appeared to be attached to his right arm. While waving the blade and chasing a protester, Cavalluzzi yelled out, “I will kill you,” according to the DA.
Cavalluzi eventually got back into his car and drove off, mounting the sidewalk and nearly running over demonstrators as he left, according to Katz.
Police responded to the incident and remained at the site of the protest until early evening, according to witnesses at the gathering.
Cavalluzi turned himself in to the 109th Precinct Thursday morning. Cavalluzi’s bail has been set at $100,000 and he’s been ordered to return to court on July 2. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
This story was updated at 9:45 a.m., on Friday, June 5, 2020.
