Metro

I tried to stop fatal fight: Parks Dept. supervisor

“I wasn’t gonna let him punch me so I stabbed him.”

A Queens jury watched videotaped statements Tuesday made by a Park’s Department janitor on trial for killing his “disrespectful to everyone” co-worker.

“I was scared and mad, he threatened me one too many times. I should have just smacked him in the face, but I didn’t,” said Robert Swann to detectives at the 109th Precinct on Sept. 4, 2012 after he was nabbed for allegedly stabbing Ezra Black in the stomach.

Black, 31, and Swann, 53, worked together for two short weeks at the Queens Zoo at Flushing Meadows Park where several conflicts occurred between the two men.

“I didn’t even know his name,” admitted Swann.

Swann told prosecutors and Det. Karl Ardisana that Black threatened him with a “poker” and called him names all the time.

“He was so, so disrespectful to everyone, the supervisors, the other workers, everyone! All these nice people it’s not right,” said Swann, who was still wearing a green work T-shirt as he rocked in the chair and muttered his account.

Swann claims he told his supervisors about their conflicts. Two supervisors testified on Monday that there weren’t aware of any problems between the men.

“I was about to go into my overtime shift when he got into my face and started cursing at me in front of everybody, I just responded,” said Swann.

“Ezra came running into the office yelling, ‘He stabbed me! He stabbed me!’ He lifted his shirt and there was blood all on his body,” said Luis Zuniga, Swann and Black’s supervisor.

Swann faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

Black had several prior convictions for assault and menacing with a weapon, which Swann’s attorney hopes to reveal to the jurors during his case on Wednesday.