
Tragedy struck at the funeral of Jennira "Dandi" Roundtree, the Staten Island mother stabbed to death earlier this month while defending her daughter, as multiple fights broke out during the service held in Queens. According to NY Daily News, police had to intervene on several occasions to quell the disturbances; the service was held at Macedonia Baptist Church of Arverne and was meant to be a somber tribute to the mother of four.
Rountree was killed on January 7 outside the West Brighton Houses following an altercation that spun out of control from a social media dispute involving her 13-year-old daughter and a group of over 20 females, Jasmine Thompson, 25, was arrested in connection with Roundtree's death after she fled the scene and later surrendered to the authorities, she has been charged with murder, manslaughter, and other related offenses, according to SILive.com.
The funeral was disrupted multiple times by arguments and physical altercations, one of which occurred just as a eulogy ended and another in the pews, causing the police to separate the individuals involved, at the conclusion of the service yet another fight broke out, forcing the police to clear the church entirel, as detailed by NY Daily News. Reverend Evan D. Gray, Sr. lamented the pain the children were enduring, pleading for understanding and patience from those gathered, "These are some hurting children," he said, "I need everybody to give them a moment. If you ain't never been in this position, you will not understand."
Despite the chaos, the community remembered Roundtree as a devoted mother who transformed ordinary moments into cherished memories for her children. A relative described her as someone who "would want peace," this sentiment was echoed by a friend and neighbor, Diamond Brantley, who told SILive.com, "She’d do anything to protect her kids." No injuries were reported as a result of the incidents at the funeral, and no arrests were made at the time, said a spokesman for the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.