Suspect charged in fatal East Village knife fight sparked by accidental bump between strangers
Cops have charged a suspect with fatally stabbing a stranger during a bloody clash on a Manhattan street sparked by an accidental bump, police said Monday.
Quan Alford is facing manslaughter and weapon possession charges for the Saturday night knife fight on E. 10th St. and Avenue C in the East Village.
Victim Michael Gilligbauer, 31, bumped into Alford, 28, about 10:15 p.m., cops said. The two men didn’t know each other but started to argue and both pulled out knives.
“One of them pulled out a knife and then the other guy pulled out his knife,” a police source said. “It was the ultimate one-upping.”
As the two lunged at each other, Gilligbauer was stabbed multiple times in the body. Alford suffered a stab wound to the back.
“A guy bumped my son and they started fighting — and instead of hitting him with his hands he stabbed my son to death,” Gilligbauer’s distraught mother, who identified herself as Johanna, told the Daily News Sunday. “My son died in the street.”
Medics rushed Gilligbauer to Mount Sinai Beth Israel but he could not be saved. Alford was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was treated and placed in handcuffs.
Alford’s arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court was pending Monday. It’s his first arrest, police said.
Gilligbauer’s mother spoke with a co-worker her son was walking with when the fight broke out.
“His co-worker doesn’t understand,” she said. “He said, ‘Ma, it happened so fast!’ He said by the time he turned around Michael was gasping for air, spitting out blood.”
Gilligbauer worked at Bike Fix NYC on E. Sixth St. and was on his way to his girlfriend’s home in Harlem when he was killed.
“He was there late because there was a customer who wanted to pick up their bike, so they had to finish it,” his mother said. “He was good with his hands. Bicycles, cell phones, electronics, computers, entertainment systems, cars. My son was a versatile man, never afraid of work.”
