A man stopped by cops in a stolen Mercedes-Benz in the Bronx has been charged with the random stabbing death of a doctor in a Harlem park, fatally slashing a stranger’s neck on a Lower East Side sidewalk, and stabbing two customers inside an East Harlem bar — all part of a vicious, unhinged spree over several days that ended with the suspect’s Christmas Eve capture.
Cops working through the holiday rush connected the bloody dots linking the two murders with the separate knife attack at a pub to suspect Roland Codrington, 35, who was finally in handcuffs late Saturday night.
“Because of the work of the absolutely greatest detectives in the world, and with the extraordinary aid of the officers who were on patrol who work tirelessly to keep New Yorkers safe, the women and men of the NYPD have once again shown their resolve to bring to justice a perpetrator and stop a crime pattern,” said Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell.
Codrington was arraigned Monday before Judge Lisa Sokoloff in Manhattan Supreme Court, and charged with two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, one count of assault, and one count of criminal mischief.
Codrington stood with his hands cuffed behind his back and his feet shackled. He was wearing a black puffer jacket with a black hood, red pants and gray and white sneakers. A blue face mask covered his face.
“The defendant was in Marcus Garvey Park, stabbing a 60-year-old man 30 times all over his body with no known provocation, leaving him alone and dead in the pitch black rain,” said assistant DA Rachel Movius of Codrington’s alleged final victim, pediatrician Bruce Maurice Henry.
Prosecutors said Codrington fled in the dead man’s car after the brutal knife attack.
“I was in a dead man’s car, what do you think it means?” Codrington told cops after his arrest, according to court papers. “After the incident at [the East Harlem bar], I walked to the park and a guy made a comment to me that caused me to snap. My friend had to stop me. After, I was standing up and the guy was laying on the ground under me. I used the same knife that I used in the other two incidents. I got rid of the knife in the Hudson River.”
Codrington was remanded without bail.
Cops said the deadly spree began on Dec. 19 outside Spike’s Bar on Avenue A near 13th St. There, James Cunningham, 51, was slashed in a horrifying attack that left a gaping 10-inch wound on his neck and blood pouring onto the sidewalk.
The killer had argued with the victim for 20 seconds before slashing him without warning, video viewed by the Daily News shows.
“They have no prior interaction, they bump into each other,” NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said at a Monday news conference. “They have a 20-second dispute and the perpetrator just takes out a knife and slashes him in the neck and leaves.
Codrington’s girlfriend watched that attack unfold, the surveillance video shows.
Three days later, on Thursday night at about 11:30 pm. Codrington showed up at Teddy’s Bar on Second Ave. near E. 112th St. in East Harlem, where workers said he was a regular. Codrington allegedly attacked a female bartender with a baseball bat, damaging the area behind the bar.
Essig said Codrington had previously been kicked out of the bar and felt he had been disrespected by employees there.
When two patrons — both of them Marines — tried to stop him and pull him off the woman, Codrington allegedly pulled a knife and stabbed them. All three were treated for their injuries and survived.
His girlfriend was present for that incident as well, officials said.
“I’d like to think the perpetrator was still conscious of his actions in the moments when we were attacked inside the bar,” said one of the victims, Gabriel, 35. “I told him after we were stabbed and he moved to outside the bar counter, ‘We just wanted you to stop. Everything is fine, man. We just want you to stop.’
“I do remember fearing another attack from the perpetrator because i was compromised,” Gabriel said. “Afterwards, I was very full of anger particularly to the perpetrator having hid his knife and of how little regard the perpetrator had for the damage that weapon could inflict.”
The other victim, 31, remains in the hospital. “I had a sucking chest wound due to at least two stabs in the back and one in the chest which pierced my diaphragm,” he told The News. “I am in OK condition now, but I have four chest tubes still in.”
After the bar attack, cops named Codrington as a suspect, released his photo and asked for the public’s help tracking him down. They had not yet connected him to the Lower East Side homicide three days earlier.
Just three hours later, at about 2:15 a.m. Friday, a passerby found the body of Dr. Henry in Marcus Garvey Park. Henry, 60, suffered slash and stab wounds to his back, torso, buttocks, one eye, and his palms.
Henry was a pediatrician who lived in the Bronx and practiced in Nyack. He would have turned 61 the day after his death, his long-lost half-brother told the Daily News in an exclusive interview Sunday.
Police said Codrington ran into Henry in the park shortly after the incident at Teddy’s Bar and attacked him with a knife.
“He sees the Citizen app come over on [the bar attack], he says he’s going to take a walk through the park to cool off,” Essig said. “That’s when he encounters [Henry] there. There’s some verbal exchange where he becomes enraged and stabs him numerous times.”
Detectives found security video which showed Codrington and his girlfriend breaking into Henry’s Mercedes-Benz and driving off in it, cops said Monday.
Later Friday, police identified Codrington as a suspect in the Avenue A neck slashing and issued an alert for the stolen Mercedes, leading to his arrest in the Bronx.
“Three sharp-eyed police officers from the 30th Precinct made the apprehension of the Mercedes with no incidents,” NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said Monday. “Thank God we put this to an end.”
Codrington, who lives in East Harlem, has 12 prior arrests stretching back to 2006.
He was arrested for auto theft in 2022, two assaults in 2021, twice in 2017 for assault with a weapon, once in 2013 for possession of a knife, a knifepoint robbery in 2008 and a knife assault in 2006.
In 2018, he was convicted of “stabbing someone in the back four times, slashing his face, as well as stabbing a 15-year-old girl in the back who got caught in the middle,” assistant DA Movius said.
Cunningham, who died of the neck slash on Avenue A, had lived in New York City since 1990, said Mitch Okun, 52, who is the current partner of the victim’s ex-wife.
“We’re satisfied that something happened,” Okun said about the arrest. “It doesn’t do anything to solve what happened to him, but it’s good to hear.”
Essig said the investigation is ongoing, and that Codrington’s girlfriend had not been charged.
A New York State DOT tractor was struck on interstate 81 in Jefferson County after the driver passed work area signs at an unsafe speed and was not paying attention when the driver in front of him Lane corrected causing him to spin out and strike the dot tractor no serious injuries were reported
Kathy Hochul had disabled New Yorkers ARRESTED after she caused them to lose their home healthcare Medicaid program. Hochul is dismantling the home healthcare CDPAP program which will cause tens of thousands of disabled and elderly New Yorkers to lose their benefits, healthcare aides, and many forced to move to assisted living facilities.
This protest is trying to stop her bill before it goes into effect April 1st.
In December 2024, a video surfaced showing former Watertown Mayor Jeffrey Smith receiving a ride home in a police patrol car after a night of holiday drinking. The incident has sparked controversy, with City Councilman Cliff Olney accusing Smith of receiving "preferential treatment" from the Watertown Police Department.
The video, which has circulated widely on social media this week, depicts Smith interacting with officers before being escorted into the patrol car. Councilman Olney contends that such actions undermine public trust and suggest a double standard in law enforcement practices.
In response, Smith has downplayed the incident, stating, "It's not a big deal, I drive on a suspended registration too!" This remark has further fueled the debate, with critics arguing that it reflects a dismissive attitude toward legal obligations and public safety.
The Watertown Police Department has yet to issue an official statement regarding the matter. As discussions continue, the incident ...
Chris O'Neil TMG
Published: August 5, 2025
WATERTOWN, N.Y. — A 34-year-old homeless woman was arrested early Wednesday morning in Public Square, marking her second arrest for public exposure in less than a week.
Chelsea A. Allen was taken into custody shortly after midnight on Aug. 5 after police responded to reports of a disorderly individual. According to court documents, Allen had lifted her dress and exposed herself in the downtown area while exhibiting signs of drug use.
Police said Allen was sweating heavily, making erratic movements, and speaking incoherently. She allegedly admitted to using methamphetamine prior to the incident.
Allen was charged with exposure of a person and appearing in public under the influence of drugs, both violations under state law. She was issued appearance tickets and released. Her next court date is scheduled for Aug. 25 in Watertown City Court.
The arrest came just days after a separate incident involving Allen at the same location.
On Friday evening, Aug. 1, police...
Watertown Police Blotter
July 22–30, 2025
July 22
Andrew Brian Bourget, 26, 724 Myrtle Ave., Watertown — Arrested at 720 Myrtle Ave. and charged with endangering the welfare of a child (Class A misdemeanor) after allegedly leaving a 2‑year‑old unsupervised for over 43 minutes. Issued an appearance ticket for Aug. 14 in Watertown City Court.
July 28
Charles John Johnson, [age not provided], Watertown — Arrested at 482 Thompson Blvd. and charged with operating a motor vehicle with a suspended registration (VTL 512). Ticket returnable Aug. 11 in Watertown City Court.
July 29
Dariyon Montre Hodges, [age not provided], Watertown — Charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle 2nd (VTL 511‑02a1). Released on an appearance ticket for Aug. 12 in Watertown City Court.
Robert Roger Fayette, 46, 611 Addison St., Watertown — Arrested at 187 E St. and charged with fourth‑degree criminal mischief (Class A misdemeanor) after allegedly damaging a \$150 Ring Doorbell camera. Processed and released; ...
Watertown City Police Arrests – July 8–16, 2025
Cathleen Irene Howard (55) – Arrested July 12 at Kinney Drugs, Coffeen St., for Petit Larceny after allegedly stealing \$16.24 worth of merchandise. Released with an appearance ticket for July 28.
Erica Marie Hallisey (45) – Arrested July 14 at First Baptist Church, State St., for Unlawful Possession of Noxious Matter after allegedly inhaling “Dust Off” in public and rendering herself unconscious. Released with an appearance ticket for July 28.
Thomas Henry Folsom (40) – Arrested July 12 at Franklin St. for Disorderly Conduct: Obstructing Traffic (PL 240.20) after allegedly blocking traffic and yelling at motorists. Released with an appearance ticket for July 31.
Megan Elizabeth Dryden (40) – Arrested July 8 at Mo's Diner, Factory St., for Theft of Services after allegedly failing to pay \$32.36 for food. Released with an appearance ticket for July 28.
Paul John Avallone (67) – Arrested July 15 on Polk St. for Failure to Register Social ...
For months, the Watertown City School District has insisted that the concerns emerging from within the art department were being addressed through the appropriate channels. But new information reveals a very different story—one that suggests the district’s priority was not accountability, but silence.
Trash Media Group has learned that the art teacher at the center of a long-running series of complaints allegedly resigned effective December 1st. That resignation, however, did not remove her from the school environment. Instead, sources indicate she was rehired into the English Department on the very same date. No announcement was made, no explanation was offered, and no effort was taken to inform families, staff, or the public about the stunning same-day transition.
Quiet transfers like this are sometimes used by school districts to shift problematic employees without drawing outside attention, triggering public records, or risking union disputes. But in this case, the timing and secrecy raise serious questions about what the district was trying to avoid. A teacher whose conduct reportedly generated repeated warnings, internal complaints, and growing concern among students and staff was quietly removed from one classroom only to be placed into another, with full access to students, without so much as a pause or public acknowledgment.
People familiar with the art department describe months of strain and disruption. Complaints were raised through proper channels for an extended period, yet the district stalled, redirected, and downplayed issues rather than addressing them head-on. Staff members reported feeling frustrated and dismissed, and students described the classroom environment as unstable and sometimes distressing. These concerns were not isolated or sudden; they formed a pattern the district could not credibly claim to be unaware of.
This covert December 1st shuffle fits into a larger trend within the Watertown City School District, which has faced repeated criticism for downplaying serious issues, withholding timely information from families, and failing to communicate transparently with the community. Over the past year, the district’s public posture has routinely emphasized stability and control, even as teachers, parents, and students have described the exact opposite.
The key issue now is why the district chose to move this teacher quietly into another department rather than take meaningful action. If her conduct warranted removal from the art department, what justified immediately placing her in the English Department? If the district believed her to be fit for continued employment, why was the move handled in a way that ensured no one outside the central office would know it had even occurred? The decision to make the resignation and rehiring effective on the same day appears designed to eliminate any visible separation in her employment record, raising further questions about what the district hoped would remain hidden.
Trash Media Group has formally asked the Board of Education to clarify the circumstances surrounding the resignation, the rehiring, the complaints from the art department, and the lack of public disclosure. As of publication, the district has not responded to any request for comment.
Now that the story has reached national platforms, including Libs of TikTok with its enormous audience reach, the district can no longer rely on quiet transfers and internal fixes to escape scrutiny. Parents deserve to know why their children’s classrooms have been treated as pieces on a chessboard. Teachers deserve to understand why their concerns were ignored. And the community deserves honesty from a district that has repeatedly chosen secrecy over accountability.
Trash Media Group will continue investigating this situation as more information becomes available. Anyone with direct knowledge of the events surrounding the art department or the teacher’s reassignment is encouraged to reach out confidentially through email or phone at: [email protected] or (315) 783-6732.
This story is far from finished; and the district’s silence will not make it go away.
By Chris O’Neil
Trash Media Group | https://www.trashmediagroup.org
What began as a simple Freedom of Information request about classroom materials has uncovered a much deeper concern within the Watertown City School District — one that directly contradicts its own claims about student internet safety.
Earlier this month, Trash Media Group filed a FOIA petition seeking details about artwork shown to 7th graders in a Watertown Middle School art class. The request centered on the inclusion of controversial Keith Haring imagery — material some parents described as “highly inappropriate” for children due to its sexual themes.
When the district complied with the records request, the curriculum documents provided something unexpected: a long list of official reference links used by the art department. Among them were multiple pages from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.
Curious, Trash Media Group reviewed those links — and within minutes found they led directly to unfiltered museum archives. Many of these pages feature explicit and adult-themed works, including nude studies, erotic drawings, and other mature imagery by artists such as Egon Schiele, Henri Matisse, and John Coplans.
All of this material sits just a few clicks away from a 7th grader’s Chromebook, under the district’s officially approved curriculum.
This directly contradicts the district’s repeated assurances to parents that “comprehensive content filters” prevent students from accessing inappropriate websites. Either those filters were never implemented as promised, or the district’s curriculum itself is exempt from safety protocols — a major failure of oversight in both cases.
“They told us our kids were protected by filters,” one parent said after reviewing the FOIA packet. “Then we find out the district itself handed out links that bypass every safeguard.”
While it’s true that museums like MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art are legitimate educational institutions, their archives are not filtered for minors. Most professional art databases include uncensored works that require adult discretion — a nuance apparently overlooked or ignored by the district when it approved its art syllabus.
This revelation raises new questions about how much scrutiny the Watertown School District applies when approving classroom resources, especially in courses dealing with visual or modern art.
Trash Media Group has now reached out to district officials for comment regarding:
who vetted and approved the inclusion of the MoMA and similar links,
whether these resources were reviewed for age-appropriate content, and
what the district’s “content security system” actually blocks, if anything.
Until those questions are answered, the district’s assurances of digital safety and educational responsibility ring hollow. We will update when we recieve further answers.
