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Ossining man charged in bar fight, chase
some things never change...
Ossining man charged in bar fight, chase
By BILL HUGHES
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original Publication: August 16, 2005)
A 39-year-old Ossining man was arraigned on six felony charges yesterday after a weekend bar fight led to a high-speed chase during which two police officers were injured when the man tried to ram their patrol cars, police said.
Matthew J. DiBernardo of 117 S. Highland Ave. appeared in Ardsley Village Court yesterday in bloody blue jeans with several large abrasions on his head and a black eye. Village Justice Walter Schwartz ordered him held without bail.
The incident began when DiBernardo got into a fight with a group of Hispanic patrons at Bubba's Grill and Tavern, 468 Ashford Ave., early Saturday morning, Ardsley police Sgt. David Fisher said.
DiBernardo, who is white, was asked to leave by the bartender after he allegedly threw a bar stool and began hurling ethnic slurs at the men. The bartender, who is black, told police that DiBernardo left and returned 10 minutes later with a 6-inch knife. DiBernardo confronted him using racial slurs and attempted to stab him, the bartender told police.
Police were called, and DiBernardo jumped into a 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII as they arrived, then tried to ram two patrol cars before speeding off, police said. Officers chased him north on Route 9 through Irvington and Tarrytown, where he reached speeds of more than 100 mph, police said.
Two Tarrytown patrol cars joined the chase and, along with a unit from Ardsley, blocked DiBernardo as he tried to get onto the New York State Thruway at a ramp off Route 9. DiBernardo then rammed one car from Ardsley and one from Tarrytown before crashing into the lot of the Rushneck car dealership on South Broadway, where he was captured, police said.
One officer from Ardsley suffered a shoulder injury, and one from Tarrytown received minor scrapes and bruises. Both were treated at a hospital and released.
DiBernardo was charged with first-degree reckless endangerment for driving more than 100 mph and first-degree attempted assault for trying to stab the bartender, police said. He also faces two counts each of aggravated assault on a police officer and second-degree assault.
No weapon was found, but DiBernardo could face further misdemeanor charges after a grand jury hears the case. He is due back in Village Court on Thursday.
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