By Shayna Jacobs
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN CRIMINAL COURT —Prosecutors said they will show no mercy to the 33 people arrested during the Easter Sunday mayhem in Times Square, during which bottles and insults flew through the area, four people were shot and an NYPD officer was rushed to the hospital with head injuries.
The District Attorney's Office will not accept plea deals or dole out "adjournments in contemplation of dismissal," an offer to drop charges frequently extended to people with no prior arrests who stay out of trouble for six months after they are arraigned, a source said.
The recent spike in crime has several top officials, including NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and D.A. Cy Vance Jr. worried.
"My office is extremely concerned about the threat to public safety these cases represent, and we will treat these cases with the attention and seriousness they deserve," said Vance, who was personally present for several of the arraignments.
Police said they charged Bronx-resident Rayvon Guice, 20, on Tuesday with assault and criminal possession of a weapon in connection with at least one of the shootings. Kelly said they had leads on additional suspects in the other shootings.
Nearly two dozen of the 33 people arrested Sunday night were arraigned Tuesday on mostly minor charges ranging from disorderly conduct — a violation not considered a crime — to assault in the second degree and marijuana possession, court documents showed.
Those arrested were kept in custody for two nights pending ongoing investigations into the shootings and a possible connection to ten potentially gang-related arrests in Harlem, a law enforcement source said.
Jermaine Parker, 19, was charged with one of the more serious crimes — assaulting a police office. Parker allegedly hit a female officer, who was later rushed to Bellevue Hospital and treated for a concussion. Parker was being held on $3,000 cash bail.
Several of those arrested were picked up in front of the famously gaudy 42nd Street McDonald's.
"People just started going at it right there," said Edward Gunn, 18, who said he had no connection to the fight but was picked up outside McDonald's and charged with marijuana possession and disorderly conduct.
Gunn said he was the only one arrested in a group of several friends who were headed to Dallas BBQ and after that, a showing of the movie "Clash of the Titans."
"We were just trying to celebrate Easter," he said.
Gary Best, 20, was arrested for "yelling and screaming" at police in front of the McDonald's about 10:30 p.m., telling them not to arrest his friend, a female and minor who was also arraigned Tuesday.
He was released on his own recognizance Tuesday afternoon.
"I think it was kind of crazy how they handled it," said Best, who told reporters he was looking out for his 17-year-old friend, who was caught in the chaos and targeted by police.
Defense attorneys who were assigned cases throughout the day argued that their clients were nabbed for simply being present during the arrest sweep.
"It seems that they've got to sort out what really happened," said attorney Liam Malanaphy, who was assigned to Leroy-Jama Wigfall, another 19-year-old charged with assaulting a police officer.
Malanaphy said anyone in the vicinity of the disorder was considered suspect.
"If you were getting off the train in Times Square at midnight, you were getting searched," he said.
