The NYPD has made an arrest in connection to the stabbing of Brooklyn community activist Ryan Thoresen Carson. Brian Dowling, 18, was arrested at an apartment in Bedford Stuyvesant on Thursday morning. Police were in search of the black Champion sweatshirt he was wearing, which was also found when they arrived at the apartment to make the arrest.
Carson, 32, was fatally stabbed around 4 a.m. on Monday, while the activist was waiting for a bus with his girlfriend in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Dowling was caught on camera stabbing Carson and fled the scene after that. He was the sole suspect in the case and was caught after a fanatic manhunt.
Caught After Almost 72 Hours
Dowling was arrested not far from the place where he was captured on video fatally stabbing Carson. This incident occurred shortly after Carlson returned from a wedding. Dowling was previously described as "emotionally and mentally disturbed."
He is believed to be employed at a school in Clinton Hill and has a history of prior citations for disorderly conduct.
Police revealed on Wednesday that the suspect has a long rap sheet. Two months ago, the teenager's own aunt made a distress call to 911, describing him as "emotionally disturbed", after he had a heated argument with his girlfriend during which he broke her belongings.
Carson was a passionate advocate for liberal causes, notably pushing for supervised drug injection sites throughout the city.
On the other hand, his girlfriend, as suggested by her restricted social media profiles, was a dedicated Black Lives Matter (BLM) activist and used the acronym ACAB, associated with a strong anti-police sentiment, in some of her posts.
More to Be Revealed
Close friends of Carson believe that he would view his assailant as a "victim of a broken system."
They are certain that he would want his tragic death to serve as a catalyst to further advocate for social justice causes, leveraging the incident to continue the fight for a better and more just society.
"I'm absolutely positive that he would immediately see that this was a person who was suffering from a lack of resources in our community, who probably needs better mental health support, possibly housing, possibly drug support, drug treatment.
"What he would want to avenge his death is for us to fix how broken this city is," New York State Assembly member Emily Gallagher told The Gothamist.
Carson was employed at the New York Public Interest Research Group, a nonprofit organization, where his advocacy centered on environmental initiatives such as promoting the use of reusable bottles.
In contrast, Morales, as per previously accessible social media profiles, was a passionate activist for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Morales used the acronym ACAB, associated with anti-police sentiment, in some of their posts. However, these social media profiles are now restricted or unavailable.
Carson may not have been as vocal in his criticism of police, but he shared a common concern regarding police brutality and the need for reform in that regard. "The fact of the matter is I'm f*****g scared.
"I spent this summer, like many of the past years of my life, watching people I care about get attacked by the police in the streets," he said in an October 2020 interview about his poetry.
Friends of the pair are currently making a fundraising effort to support Morales through her grief. An impressive $46,000 has already been raised through a GoFundMe page to assist her during this difficult time.
