Off-Duty Yonkers Cop Stops Brawl At Scrap Metal Yard

An off-duty Yonkers police officer stopped a man who was swinging a five-foot metal pole at a scrap yard employee, holding the suspect at bay until uniformed officers arrived, the Yonkers Police Department said.

The off-duty officer was driving north on Saw Mill River Road when he saw two men engaged in an animated dispute outside R&B Scrap Metal. The officer said he saw 40-year-old Gregory Chavis punching an employee "with a closed fist numerous times," according to Yonkers police. The off-duty officer identified himself as a cop and separated Chavis from the victim with the help of another employee at the scrap yard.

Chavis wasn't finished, police said. The Yonkers man grabbed "a five-foot piece of metal" and swung at the victim, knocking him down with a blow to his left shoulder. The officer tackled Chavis and held him on the ground until a patrol officer and a detective arrived.

Police say the fight began when Chavis lugged scrap metal onto the property and dumped it on the ground, striking the victim in the process. When the victim protested, Chavis attacked him, according to police.

Chavis, of 263 Somerville Pl. in Yonkers, was charged with felony second-degree assault and criminal possession of a weapon. He was also wanted on a warrant for first-degree criminal contempt, a felony. Chavis was arraigned and held in Yonkers city jail.

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