It was in 1975 on a 4th of July that was unusual because it was not humid and was a perfect summer day. Young people gathered in this huge park next to the Nassau Collesium with coolers of beer and food waiting for the free fireworks show held at the nearby collesium later that night. It resembled the beach because of all the spread blankets and every once an a while an errant frisby would come my way and I'd get a turn. I was a 17 year old kid back then.
Around dusk I went to the bathroom in the back of a bandshell. When I walked in a drunk just so happened to throw a beer bottle into the bandshell and when it broke it made a popping sound like a gun.
When I came out of the bathroom there were about a dozen drunks smashing bottles, and it sounded like machine guns. I saw some others grabing full garbage bags of bottles to join in.
I was acually pretty far away from all the violence, but I didn't take notice of a line of cops assembling in full riot gear untill they began to close ranks and march.
I was walking towards a handsome couple that clearly were in a state of bliss as they openly displayed their love and happiness openly with the public, then I saw this cop swing his nightstick into the back of the guys head, and then I heard that aweful sound of the hollow sound of someone's skull being cracked as the nightstick resonated.
The guy slumped forward from the blow, his girlfrien knelt over him not knowing she was in danger, and then I heard that aweful sound again, then the girl's head rested on her boyfriend's chest like she had fallen asleep.
The cop looked up from his trophies and saw me frozen like a statue staring at him. I was only a step away, but I was so scared that all I could do was look at him, and he seemed surprised that I had witnessed what he did.
Perhaps he did not want to destroy my face, and all he had to do was take one gentile step forward, he would be within reach to stike me down, and I was next. The cop said, "Exit the park," and pointed away from him with his night stick, but I knew that this could be a ploy to get a clear shot at the back of my head, I already knew not to trust him, and I told him that my friends and their car were behind him.
Not sure if engaging with him made it less likely I would be struck down, but I believe it was so. My confrontation likely presented myself as a human and harder for him to stike down, but I also thought that if I was going to be stuck down I would look him right in the face. All around me I saw bodies laying on the ground as I turned away, still not knowing if I would get hit anyway.
I had no money and was forced to hitchhike on an entrance ramp in the dark. The driver who picked me up happened to be Larry Klienman a DJ from WLIR. I recognized his voice, but we really didn't talk because I was in a bit of state of shock.
Riots kinda happen as a surprise. It only takes a rather small incident to provoke a brutal response.
Cal
