A negligence in the awards area of a Times Square amusement park on Saturday night led to an altercation between two men that ended when one pulled out a knife and stabbed to death, police said. the other, police said.
The victim, Allen Stanford, 39, of Harlem, was reaching for a prize on a high shelf at Dave & Buster’s when it fell and may have collided with a young girl accompanied by Jesse Armstrong, 41, of police said.
An argument between the two escalated into an altercation before Armstrong pulled out a knife and stabbed Stanford, according to police.
Dave & Buster’s, a popular family-friendly spot on West 42nd Street near 8th Avenue that attracts celebrities like Beyoncé and Drake, allows customers to exchange winning tickets to video games for cash prizes like stuffed animals, candy, home appliances and Sony PlayStations.
The prize at the center of the deadly dispute on Saturday night is believed to be a drone, according to a person briefed on the matter.
Around 10:45 p.m., police said, officers responded to a 911 call about an assault in progress and found Stanford at the scene with a stab wound to the chest. Police said he was taken to St. Luke’s-Roosevelt, where he is presumed dead.
Dave & Buster’s said in a statement: “We are fully cooperating with police in their investigation. Our thoughts and sympathies are with those affected by this terrible incident.”
Mr. Armstrong, who, according to police, lives in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, was arrested on murder charges following the stabbing. He is pending in criminal court in Manhattan on Sunday afternoon.
On Sunday afternoon, when both the restaurant and the arcade were open, several dozen customers roamed the game area filled with flashing lights and bells, complete with game consoles, high-definition video screens, and more. high definition, old fashioned mini basketball wheel and bonus slot machine.
Inside the prize pool in the back corner, the trinkets that pay for the winning video game tickets are hung on stakes or on high shelves: a colored fleece blanket for 1,850 tickets; a giant stuffed panda for 12,000; a branded kitchen mixer costs 130,000.
After visiting Dave & Buster’s on Sunday, the Kenya Woods of Manhattan walked out onto busy 42nd Street with two relatives. Ms Woods said she went in and learned that a stabbing had taken place there the night before.
“Whatever is going to happen will happen; you have no control over that,” she said. “Unfortunately, it’s like being in New York now. You can’t let it stop you from living your life.”
Susan C. Beachy research contributions.
