FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM DECEMBER 26, 2019 • YEAR IN REVIEW • THE QUEENS COURIER 29
year in review
The top stories from November 2019
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@qns.com
@QNS
FIGHT AT QUEENS MALL
CAUSES SHUTDOWNS AND
HEAVY COP PRESENCE
Th ere was a heavy police presence at Queens Center
Mall following a fi ght between teenagers turned that spiraled
out of control and wreaked havoc inside.
A report from the Citizen App stated that a fi ght
broke out at the mall, located at 90-15 Queens Blvd.,
at around 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 22, resulting in teenagers
throwing things and “causing mayhem.” Offi cers were
on scene at the mall aft erwards taking crowd control
measures. An NYPD Aviation unit helicopter was
seen above the mall, but fl ew away aft er a short period
of time.
Police could not confi rm what started the fi ght or if
anyone was seriously injured. A shopper told the Queens
Courier that adults were being allowed into the mall
shortly aft er the fi ght was broken up, while teenagers
were denied entry. Th e shopper also said that stores on
the fi rst fl oor were closed.
COLLEGE POINT RAID UNCOVERS
WEAPONS AND AMMO
A man was arrested in College Point aft er police found
weapons and drugs in his home.
Authorities say that at 10 a.m. on Nov. 6, offi cers from
the Queens North Patrol Borough’s Narcotics Squad executed
a search warrant at 25-year-old Brandon Bryant’s
home on 25th Avenue. According to the NYPD, the
search allegedly uncovered four guns, a bullet-resistant
vest, ammunition, narcotics, and cash.
Th e NYPD did not immediately disclose why the
search warrant was executed.
Bryant was taken into custody aft erwards and charged
with multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon,
criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal
possession of marijuana.
It was a busy couple of days for the Queens North
Patrol Borough. On Nov. 7, the unit’s Gang Squad busted
two people in Long Island City for gun and drug possession.
“Not wanting to be outdone by the @NYPDQueensNorth
Gang Squad who recovered 3 fi rearms this week, the
Queens North Narcotics team went out and safely recovered
4 guns, a bullet-resistant vest, and narcotics thanks
to their tireless eff orts to keep our city streets safe for all.”
said the NYPD News on their Twitter account.
REPORTS OF BAYSIDE HS
SHOOTER UNFOUNDED
Bayside High School went into a brief lockdown aft er
a photo circulated on social media of a person with what
appeared to be a gun on the school’s campus.
A report from the Citizen app indicated that at around
12:40 p.m. on Nov. 21, a person with a gun was reported
at the school, located at 32-24 Corporal Kennedy St.
A photo from Snapchat indicating a person holding what
appeared to be a gun with the geo-location set at Bayside
High School was shown to a teacher by a student.
Th e NYPD confi rmed on Twitter that the report of a
possible active shooter was unfounded and the lockdown
was subsequently been lift ed. Capt. John Hall of the 111th
Precinct said the lockdown was lift ed shortly aft er 1 p.m.
and that several parents arrived to pick up students from
school early. However, a heavier police presence stayed at
the school for the rest of the day.
Hall said that the photo that circulated on social media
showed a fake gun with a rubberized tip that was used in
a physics class.
QUEENS SCORES FIRST MEN’S
PROFESSIONAL SOCCER TEAM
Queens will soon be the home of its very fi rst professional
soccer franchise.
Th e United Soccer League announced on Nov. 12 that
it awarded a franchise to the Queensboro Football Club
starting in 2021, when the team will play in the USL
Championship, the top tier of the league which is one
level below Major League Soccer. One of the international
soccer’s biggest stars, David Villa, is the lead investor
in Queensboro FC, which will play most of its home
games at York College in Jamaica, as well as a few games
at Citi Field. Villa is a World Cup champion and all-time
leading Spanish national team goal scorer who starred
with Barcelona and Real Madrid at club level before joining
the New York City Football Club that plays at Yankee
Stadium.
Th e club plans to operate a youth academy which Villa
will work closely with. Villa is close friends with City
Councilman Francisco Moya who has advocated for a
professional soccer team in the borough for years.
Photo by Robb Pozarycki
A heavy police presence was at Queens Center Mall after a fi ght
broke out there in November.
Photo via Twitter/@NYPDNews
Photo: Jenna Bagcal/QNS
Photo via Wikipedia Commons
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