A brawl involving machetes, knives, and razor blades broke out around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday on the second floor of the Metro-North commuter parking garage at 2 Waterfront Place in Port Chester, leaving two people with severe head and facial cuts. Port Chester officers who responded found the injured victims inside the garage and, after following a blood trail, intercepted a second group of fleeing suspects near a local restaurant, recovering additional cutting tools along the way.
According to Daily Voice, the fight traces back to an earlier dispute around 5 p.m. that same day on Westchester Avenue, about a block from the garage, during which someone's shirt was torn. A video of that torn shirt being burned inside the parking garage was later posted to Instagram, according to MTA Police, who say the online post helped escalate the tension into the nighttime confrontation. The physical altercation itself involved an estimated eight to 10 people, per the seed report from Talk of the Sound.
Weapons Recovered and Injuries Treated
Investigators initially highlighted a machete as the primary weapon, but the same report notes that responding officers ultimately determined participants also used knives and razor blades during the confrontation. Two people were transported to Westchester Medical Center for treatment of their injuries, per Talk of the Sound's account. The hospital, located in Valhalla, operates as the Hudson Valley's only American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult trauma center, according to the Westchester Medical Center Health Network, which describes its trauma and surgical care as available 24/7.
Village officials said six people were charged and arrested in connection with the fight, but MTA Police clarified on Wednesday that four individuals were formally charged. The same Daily Voice report said two juveniles were questioned and released without charges. The village also stated that the altercation was not confirmed to be gang-related, per Talk of the Sound. Preliminary information suggested to village officials that the altercation may have been connected to the earlier Tuesday incident, which remains under investigation.
MTA Police Take Over the Investigation
Because the fight occurred on MTA-owned commuter parking property, MTA Police took over the case. Port Chester police turned over the suspects and recovered evidence to MTA Police once the scene was secured, and the investigation now remains with that agency, per Talk of the Sound.
The Waterfront Place structure is a Metro-North commuter parking facility in Port Chester, according to the Greenwich Free Press. The facility serves commuters.
Neighboring Departments Pitch In
Securing the scene and tracking fleeing suspects required help beyond Port Chester's own force. Officers from the neighboring City of Rye and Village of Rye Brook assisted Port Chester police in locking down the perimeter, the Greenwich Free Press reports, reflecting the kind of cross-border mutual aid small Westchester municipalities lean on during violent, fast-moving incidents.
Port Chester Police Chief Christopher Rosabella praised the training and preparedness of his department's personnel, saying officers responded to “a highly tense and rapidly developing situation,” according to Talk of the Sound. Rosabella, appointed chief in March 2020 after more than 25 years in local law enforcement, previously served as captain, detective lieutenant, and sergeant within the department, per SFGate.
Village Manager Stuart L. Rabin said Port Chester officers are prepared to protect the public regardless of jurisdictional lines, adding that police responded immediately, secured the scene, recovered weapons, and helped bring the matter under control. Trustee Luis Marino praised the department's response as well, saying officers are trained, prepared, and capable of leading during community emergencies, according to the Talk of the Sound report. Officers worked to secure the scene, recover weapons, protect those present, and coordinate with neighboring departments and MTA Police as the investigation moved forward.
