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Panic in Poughkeepsie: Video footage shows men terrorizing neighborhood and assaulting bystanders after car crash

Rakim Paulin and Jeremy Taylor were arrested and charged after allegedly driving in the opposite direction on the road, leading to a confrontation

POUGHKEEPSIE, NEWYORK: An attacker terrorized a town in upstate New York with a large shotgun following a collision involving vehicles traveling in the wrong direction.

Video footage captured the individual crossing a street in Poughkeepsie during the horrifying occurrence on Sunday, August 20.

According to Daily Mail, the incident occurred after two perpetrators attacked two victims using a baseball bat and a knife, shortly after the collision took place in Pershing Avenue Park.

Perpetrators arrested

Rakim Paulin, aged 43, and Jeremy Taylor, aged 40, were apprehended and charged after allegedly driving in the opposite direction on the road, leading to the confrontation. Both individuals are now facing charges of felony assault.

A bystander's recording revealed one of the men striking an unidentified victim with a baseball bat.

Law enforcement authorities disclosed that the other victim, who was seen on the ground injured while the attack was ongoing, was stabbed by the assailant wielding the bat.

Simultaneously, another individual was observed brandishing a shotgun while walking down the street, presumably acting as a lookout.

The police department in the city, which has struggled with gang-related violence over the years, is currently working to piece together the sequence of events using the widely circulated bystander video as evidence.

Eyewitnesses of the chaos are also being interviewed by the police, who stated on Wednesday, August 23 that they were still attempting to unravel the aftermath of the incident.

In a preliminary statement, local law enforcement provided their understanding of the situation, stating that a 'disturbance' was reported at 3.10 pm on Sunday.

The disturbance reportedly ensued after two vehicles were spotted speeding down Pershing Avenue Park, with one of them colliding with both people and another vehicle.

Subsequently, violence erupted, leading to the partially documented altercation that has since gained traction on social media platforms. Although the exact sequence of events remains unclear, authorities indicated that multiple individuals were assaulted.

Violent altercation leaves one victim stabbed, another beaten with baseball bat

One of the victims was stabbed with a knife, while the other was repeatedly struck with a baseball bat. The stabbing itself was not captured in any of the available online clips, but the brutal beating was.

A viral video clip depicted one of the suspects, donning a white T-shirt, using both hands to repeatedly strike a motionless victim. In another clip, the same individual is seen pummeling the same victim with his fists before displaying the shotgun.

Meanwhile, a second victim in green attire can be seen writhing on the ground, his face and arms covered in blood. Although officers have not confirmed whether this is the individual who was stabbed, he is the only other victim visible in the circulated video clips.

He victim is seen lying on the ground, seemingly signaling for assistance, while another suspect walks around the street, shotgun in hand and visible to onlookers. The individual with the shotgun occasionally points the weapon, though it remains uncertain at whom.

Police stated that Paulin, from Beacon, and Taylor, from Poughkeepsie, were both arrested following the altercation. However, it has not been confirmed whether either of them is visible in the shared video clips.

Authorities revealed that two individuals were transported to the hospital as a direct consequence of the various altercations. One of them was released on the same day, while the other sustained 'critical injuries.' The identities of these patients have not been disclosed by the police.

Meanwhile, Paulin and Taylor are both facing felony assault charges. Paulin additionally faces a felony charge of attempted assault.