From left, Alishia Pierre-Louis and Shavon Lord, both direct support professionals at Lifespire, stand by the gate which was locked by a man who wielded a hunter knife and threatened their lives and those of individuals in their care.
MANHATTAN — A walk in the park quickly turned into a frightening experience for CSEA members who care for individuals at Lifespire in East Harlem.
The workers’ courage and quick thinking may have saved many lives, including their own.
It all started in early July when the workers accompanied several individuals to the Each One, Teach One Park public playground, located across the street from a public school.
It was a pleasant routine that was interrupted that day by a man who was walking his dog. The man took issue with an individual who was making some noise.
“He was angry and saying that they [the individuals]didn’t belong in the park,” said Alishia Pierre-Louis, a CSEA Lifespire Local member and direct support professional (DSP).
Pierre-Louis’ co-worker, Shavon Lord, also a DSP, quickly approached the man to explain why they were there and to ask him to step away from the individual.
The man eventually left, vowing to return.
“We called the police to be safe,” said Pierre-Louis. “We had individuals in wheelchairs, as well as individuals who don’t walk as fast.”
Young children and families were also in the park at the time.
Police officers arrived, took statements and a description of the person and left to canvass the area.
Scary experience
Several minutes later, the man returned to the park. This time, he was wearing a mask and held a canister with what is believed to be gasoline. He started to sprinkle the contents while trying to encircle the individuals and workers.
“He then drops the bottle, takes out a hunting knife and starts chasing Shavon and then an individual,” said Pierre-Louis.
The man also tried to chase another individual, but he was quickly outmaneuvered by the Lifespire workers.
“We worked together as a team to distract him and keep our individuals safe,” said Pierre-Louis. “But it was scary. We didn’t know what was going to happen, but our job is to protect them.”
The man retreated to the single park entrance, closed the gates and used his own lock to trap everyone inside while vowing to return.
Once again, according to Lord, the police returned to the park and summoned the Fire Department to saw off the lock.
“I feel like we did what we needed to do to make sure that no one was harmed,” said Lord. “It does make me question future incidents. I feel there should be protocols or training on how to handle these types of situations, like we do fire drills. There should even be training for individuals.”
Despite their courage under fire, Lord and Pierre-Louis expressed relief that no one was harmed during the incident.
“It’s one thing to come to work and take pride in your job, it’s another to be altruistic in your actions,” said Lifespire Local President Nicole Davis. “Someone else could have taken off and run, but they didn’t they stayed and protected their charges. I am immensely proud of them.”
— David Galarza
