State Sen. Kevin Parker, a Brooklyn Democrat with a history of violent behavior, assaulted a disability rights advocate twice at the state capital building, according to a report to New York State Police.
Michael Carey said his argument with Parker occurred Wednesday after he approached the senator before a committee hearing and urged him to cosponsor legislation. Parker lost his fury, according to Carey, after the advocate described the law as addressing a “Dr. Martin Luther King type of situation” in terms of disability discrimination.
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Carey claimed the senator got inches from his face and yelled, “I don’t care.”
When his son Jonathan died in state care, Carey, who became an advocate, replied, “You don’t care that my son died?”
He stated that Parker then grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him, forcing him to stumble backward. Carey stated that Parker then shoved him again.
“I was shocked. “I could not believe what happened,” Carey told The Associated Press.
Parker joked that the committee meeting after the incident would be “as exciting as the pre-game.”
His office did not respond to requests for comment.
The New York State Police claimed on Wednesday that they responded to a “disturbance,” but did not clarify.
The office of Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins did not reply to inquiries regarding the event.
Parker has a history of physical confrontations.
He allegedly hit a traffic agent in 2005, leading to his arrest on a third-degree assault charge and a citation for double parking. The following year, he had his access to state buildings briefly restricted for breaking security standards. Two former aides claimed that Parker physically assaulted them in separate episodes. One person claimed he shoved her and destroyed her glasses in a campaign office. Parker faced no charges in either incident.
In 2009, Parker faced another arrest after pursuing a New York Post photographer and causing damage to his camera. Eventually, misdemeanor criminal mischief counts led to his conviction. Malcolm Smith, the Senate majority leader at the time, removed Parker from his post as majority whip.
Last year, someone sued Parker for allegedly raping a woman while he served in parliament. The suit is still pending. Parker termed the rape accusation “completely false.”
Carey stated that he had sought Parker’s cooperation for legislation requiring workers in state and private facilities to report incidences of suspected abuse or neglect of vulnerable persons to 911 operators.
