Holly MatkinBrooklyn, NY – A group of teens and young adults ignored the coronavirus lockdown rules and held a rowdy party at a Brooklyn barbershop, resulting in officers being called to break up the large gathering.
The defiant crew began congregating at the eNVee Barbershop on Avenue L at approximately 6 p.m. on April 18, the New York Post reported.
They planned to shoot a rap music video featuring Kelly King Kelly, which was followed by a large, raucous afterparty, witnesses told AM New York Metro.
The group made little-to-no effort to abide by the city’s six-foot social distancing rule, and outright ignored the ban on gatherings of any size, the New York Post reported.
Violations of the COVID-19 lockdown are punishable by fines of up to $1,000.
Police responded to the scene at about 8:20 p.m. and attempted to get the crowd to disperse, but they refused, AM New York Metro reported.
Additional officers were called to assist, and police ended up issuing 68 summonses, according to the New York Post.
Kayla Phillips, 28, and Jamel Dorsett, 30, were both arrested on charges of criminal possession of a weapon, possession of marijuana, and possession of a firearm in addition to their summonses, AM New York Metro reported.
Phillips was also charged with additional offenses of criminal trespass and possession of a forged instrument.
Although there was no indication that New York Mayor Bill de Blasio went to the scene of the gathering, he said he will not stop cracking down on the rule-breakers.
“I’m going to keep breaking those things up,” he declared the following day, according to the New York Post. “If people need summonses to get the message, we’ll do it.”
As of Thursday, 304,372 New York state residents had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, and 18,321 have died, according to Bing’s COVID-19 Tracker.