Utica, NY – The City of Utica Police Department had a busy evening on February 21, 2024, dealing with two distinct but equally disturbing incidents involving threats to public safety and property damage.
In the first incident, at around 9:00 PM, officers from the Crime Prevention Unit pulled over a vehicle on Lincoln Ave near Sunset Ave for violations of New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law. The approach to the vehicle revealed occupants acting suspiciously, leading to a tense encounter. One occupant, identified as Jamal Dinh, 20, of Utica, threatened an officer with violence against his family, referencing a previous encounter and claiming to have researched the officer’s personal information. The situation escalated as Dinh made movements suggesting he was armed, but officers quickly subdued and detained him. Dinh now faces charges of Making a Terroristic Threat and Obstructing Governmental Administration in the second degree, along with traffic violations.
Later that evening, Utica Police were called to Kennedy Plaza apartment buildings over reports of a man wielding what appeared to be an axe, damaging doors and issuing threats. Officers found one resident barricaded inside his apartment, fearful for his life due to significant damage to his door. After securing the scene and interviewing witnesses, police identified and apprehended 51-year-old Adrian Stevenson of Utica without further incident, though the alleged weapon was not found. Stevenson has been charged with Criminal Mischief in the third degree for the damage inflicted during his rampage.