Man with bricks triggers stampede at Roosevelt Field Mall and bites officer

LONG ISLAND – A brawl at Long Island’s Roosevelt Field Mall on Friday evening caused hundreds of patrons to flee in panic, according to police.

Officers said they were responding to reports of a fight at the mall in East Garden City when they found 22-year-old Christopher Santana carrying several bricks.

A woman who was at the mall with her mother described the chaos FOX 5 NYThis is Adeja Shivonne. “It sounded like a herd of cattle accompanied by loud screams,” she said. She says she saw hundreds of people screaming and running toward her, shouting, “There’s a shooter!”

“Without hesitation, I told my mother to run to the nearest store,” the woman said. She explained that they only made it inside for a few seconds before a stampede ripped through the area.

She says her mother was thrown to the ground in the commotion, but they managed to escape to the parking lot. “It was frightening to see people running away, knocking people down and stomping on them,” she added.

When officers attempted to arrest Santana, they said he became combative and spit and bit the officers. One officer suffered an injury to his left hand and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Santana was charged with second-degree assault, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, resisting arrest, second-degree obstructing governmental administration and disorderly conduct.

Police have not revealed whether Santana was targeting anyone or whether he was carrying additional weapons. The investigation is still ongoing.

Santana is scheduled to be arraigned Saturday in Hempstead.

Crime and public safety