2 alleged Bloods members indicted in Freeport park slaying

A grand jury has indicted two alleged Bloods gang members on murder and attempted murder charges in connection with a deadly 2020 shooting in a Freeport park, Nassau prosecutors said Wednesday.

The shooting on Nov. 28, 2020, in Martin Luther King Jr. Park ended the life of 21-year-old Taffarie Haughton of Freeport, according to authorities.

Prosecutors have alleged Christopher Anderson, 26, of Roosevelt, and Floyd K. McNeil Jr., 26, of Hempstead, opened fire on Haughton and a 19-year-old male who survived a gunshot wound to his shoulder.

The defendants unleashed a barrage of bullets after the two victims tried to leave the park while alleged Bloods gang members, including Anderson and McNeil, blocked the exit, according to the Nassau District Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said the Bloods gang was having a meeting in the park and before the shooting, several Bloods members had followed the victims into a park restroom.

Police recovered seven shell casings at the scene of the shooting.

Anderson, who authorities said also goes by "CK," pleaded not guilty to the indictment at an arraignment Wednesday and is jailed without bail.

“We’ve just been apprised of the charges. We need to conduct our own investigation,” attorney William Kephart, who represents Anderson in the case, said later Wednesday.

Separately, prosecutors confirmed Anderson already is facing attempted murder charges for allegedly firing a gun at four Hempstead police officers, who returned fire, in an encounter in Roosevelt on Dec. 29, 2020. He pleaded not guilty in that case last year, according to court records.

Court records show McNeil pleaded not guilty in the Freeport slaying case at an arraignment last week and is in jail without bail.

His attorney, Donald Rollock, declined to comment Wednesday.

Separately, McNeil was convicted in June of felony charges including attempted murder, assault and weapon charges during a Nassau County Court trial, prosecutors confirmed Wednesday. They said McNeil uses the street names DOT and Diddy DOT.

Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in a statement in connection with the Freeport shooting that her office will continue to work with law enforcement partners to end what she called “senseless gang violence.”