Blowup Over a Leaf-Blower

Yard work turned leaf rage on the afternoon of Nov. 18 after one Springs neighbor accused another of blowing leaves onto his property.

In response to a call from Stephen Gonsalves of 28 Flaggy Hole Road, two East Hampton Town police officers arrived there to find him standing in his yard. Across the way on Richardson Avenue, police said, was a man shouting profanities at Mr. Gonsalves. The man’s name was blacked out of the report. Mr. Gonsalves told the officers he had been doing yard work when he saw the neighbor blowing leaves from both 18 and 22 Richardson Avenue onto his property.

Mr. Gonsalves approached the neighbor, he told police, complaining that he was blowing leaves onto private property. The man retorted that he was on a town right-of-way, and continued blowing the leaves with a backpack blower, drawing closer and closer to Mr. Gonsalves. The two got into a shoving match, and Mr. Gonsalves dialed 911. 

While one officer spoke with Mr. Gonsalves, the neighbor continued to blow leaves, this time into a wooded area. According to the report, the other officer then attempted to get the leaf-blower’s side of the story, but he began “powerwalking” away from him. The officer said he twice told him to stop, because he was part of an investigation, and to produce identification. 

Much of the report was redacted, but in the end the Richardson Avenue man was issued a summons for violating the town code by depositing leaves onto vacant land. The officer added that he appeared to have been the one at fault in the confrontation.