NYPD: Brian Dowling, 18, charged with murder in deadly stabbing of NYC activist Ryan Carson

NEW YORK — The NYPD says Brian Dowling, an 18-year-old Brooklyn man, has been charged with homicide within the lethal stabbing of public coverage activist Ryan Carson.

Dowling confronted a decide Thursday night time, arraigned on a second-degree homicide cost. The decide denied bail.

Solely CBS New York was on the scene when Dowling was taken into custody at round 10 a.m. Thursday at his household’s Brooklyn residence.

“Now we have positively seen him earlier than, and he appeared like a really chilled child, simply mentally paranoid,” neighbor Gloria Reyes mentioned.  

Police questioned Dowling on the 81st Precinct, earlier than he was charged with homicide and felony possession of a weapon.

Prosecutors declare two individuals recognized Dowling from the surveillance video and that police recovered the assailant’s obvious sweatshirt and knife. Additionally they mentioned the sufferer’s girlfriend didn’t decide Dowling out of a photograph array she was proven.

Dowling cried quietly as he was walked from the 81st Precinct to be transferred to courtroom. That is his first arrest.

“Not one life was misplaced, two lives had been misplaced. An 18-year-old who will now be in jail … for the remainder of his life, and a 31-year-old [sic] who tried his greatest to maintain this neighborhood afloat. Everyone loses,” Reyes mentioned.

Dowling’s dad and mom had been within the courtroom for his arraignment. He regarded again at them ceaselessly, and as he was taken again into custody, they waved goodbye and blew their son a kiss.

Dowling is due again in courtroom subsequent week.

Surveillance video exhibits particular person of curiosity

Carson and his girlfriend had been seen on surveillance video round 4 a.m. Monday sitting at a bus cease on Malcolm X Boulevard in Bedford-Stuyvesant.  

Police mentioned a person walked by them, with no interplay. Moments later, because the couple began strolling, the person kicked over a number of moped scooters on the sidewalk, after which turned to Carson and mentioned, “What are you ?”

“Mr. Carson begins to right away attempt to de-escalate the scenario,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny mentioned in an earlier briefing.

That is when the suspect pulled out a knife and swung at him, police mentioned. Carson is seen tripping and falling to the bottom, and the attacker stabs him 3 times, piercing his coronary heart.  

“As Mr. Carson lay dying on the sidewalk, the male with the knife kicks him within the chest, threatens to stab the lady companion and spits in her face,” Kenny mentioned.

Investigators mentioned they don’t imagine the suspect knew Carson or his girlfriend.

The suspect’s sister is later seen coming over to apologize. It occurred down the block from Dowling’s residence, the place police mentioned they recovered a attainable weapon and clothes.

Carson remembered as neighborhood advocate

Carson was recognized for his activism in opposition to opioid overdoses. Over final decade, he labored at New York Public Curiosity Analysis Group, most not too long ago coping with recycling and strong waste. Beforehand, Carson advocated for secure injection services.

“He was simply everywhere, attempting to forestall medicine, simply attempting to maintain the neighborhood afloat,” mentioned Mattress-Stuy resident Gloria Reyes, who knew Carson. 

Tributes have been pouring in by candlelight and by put up. Mayor Eric Adams wrote Carson “turned his ardour into goal,” and Sen. Chuck Schumer described him as “a rising expertise and a unprecedented activist.”  

“Everytime you work with Ryan on a difficulty, as a colleague, you rapidly change into a buddy as a result of he was such a heat, endearing and enjoyable man to be round,” mentioned Judith Enck, president of Past Plastics.

Family members additionally held a vigil on the scene Monday night time, simply steps away from the house he shared along with his roommates.

Follow CBS New York for extra particulars on this creating story.