Video surveillance footage of a bar brawl in Bay Ridge between five men and three off-duty law enforcement officials was tampered with before being given to detectives, according to the Post. As it was reviewed by the NYPD's Technical Assistance Response Unit, the time stamp reportedly jumped out of sequence, leading officials to believe crucial footage is missing.
However, officials are at odds over what's missing. One believes it shows John DeCarlo, the man who allegedly threw the first punch, fleeing the scene after smashing a bottle over an off-duty cop's head. Another said it shows the off-duty cop, Paul Aparo, taking off his shirt and running after his attacker. A spokesman for Vanguard Computer Systems, the company in charge of the bar's video surveillance system, said, "nobody erased anything."
Just yesterday the five men arrested, four of whom are reportedly nephews of Sen. Martin Golden, claimed the cops were the instigators. The brawl started on Saturday night and ended with severe injuries to both Firefighter Rosario Cicero and Port Authority Officer Ryan McCarthy. According to the cops, DeCarlo instigated the fight and four others joined in beating up Aparo. After Cicero and McCarthy came to his assistance, the men fled the scene, and then attacked the cops again after they followed them outside to get their license plate number. The five men arrested said Aparo started the fight and chased them down the street once they were kicked out.
