Poughkeepsie Council Member Indicted On Assault Charge: DA

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — A city common council member has been indicted on an assault charge amid claims he attacked a 69-year-old last year.

Christopher A. Grant, 38, has been arraigned on a charge of second-degree attempted assault, a felony, according to the Dutchess County District Attorney's office.

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The charge stems from an incident in the afternoon of Aug. 2, 2025 at the Victor C. Waryas Park in the City of Poughkeepsie, prosecutors said. The Hudson Valley Caribbean Festival was taking place in the park at the time.

Grant, then age 37, "repeatedly struck" the 69-year-old, "in and about the head in an attempt to cause physical injury," according to the district attorney's office.

Prosecutors did not release additional details about the circumstances of the incident. The 69-year-old is not a family member, according to the district attorney's office.

Grant represents the 6th Ward of the nine-member Common Council, the city's law-making body.

Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi said, "Violence in our community will not be minimized, excused, or treated differently because of who is accused."

"Public position does not confer special treatment, and it does not diminish our obligation to seek accountability for alleged criminal conduct," Parisi added. "We will follow the evidence, protect the integrity of the process, and stand firmly with victims of violence while this case proceeds through the courts."

Grant has been released on his own recognizance.