Man At Center Of Machete Vs. Trash Can Fight Appears In Court

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — A man who allegedly provoked an Upper West Side street fight Wednesday morning will face criminal charges, prosecutors told Patch.

Luis Roman, 40, was charged with first-degree attempted assault and third-degree criminal mischief during a court appearance Thursday, according to a criminal complaint from the Manhattan District Attorney's office. Roman — armed with a machete — squared off against an unknown combatant wielding a garbage can like a weapon early Wednesday morning on the corner of West 94th Street and Broadway. The throwdown occurred at 6:50 a.m., when most people are enjoying their first cup of coffee.

The bizarre fight was captured on video and posted to Twitter by a man named Paul Tena.

The two men are seen exchanging words on the street corner before clashing with their weapons of choice. During the fight Roman was quickly disarmed while swinging the machete at his rival with such force that "caused the handle to break and the machete blade to fly off," according to the criminal complaint.

When Roman's machete breaks his opponent raises a half-full garbage can and thrusts it at Roman but soon finds out that the can is more of a one-use weapon. Eventually — with both fighters disarmed — the men begin punching each other in the middle of the street, according to the video.

Shortly after Roman drove away from the scene of the fight he was arrested, according to a criminal complaint.

Roman is currently being held on bail of $2,500 and is scheduled to appear in court on July 25, according to court records.

Photo by Jason Eppink via Flickr/Creative Commons