Accused Nassau legislator Solages backs out of community event

Nassau County Legis. Carrié Solages, accused of assaulting his live-in girlfriend in June, is bowing out of a police community event amid pressure from a prominent women’s advocacy group objecting to his participation.

The New York chapter of the National Organization for Women called Solages’ participation in next month’s National Night Out event at the Fifth Precinct in Elmont — where Solages’ was held by cops after his arrest — “utterly tone deaf.”

Solages, 38, a Democrat from Valley Stream, pleaded not guilty last month to charges of third-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child. In a written statement Thursday, Solages said he was withdrawing from the event — meant to foster good relations between the police and community — to avoid “unnecessary distractions.”

Solages has served in the Nassau legislature for six years and is a former Bronx prosecutor.

“It has come to my attention that a group from outside of our community has manufactured opposition to this year’s event because of my sponsorship, said Solages in the statement. “I have voluntarily made the decision to withdraw my sponsorship in order for the police and the community to enjoy the event without unnecessary distractions.”

In a statement, Nassau acting Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said Solages “did not want anything to distract from the upcoming National Night Out program and we have been advised that he will not be attending.”

Later Thursday in an interview, Ryder said he spoke to Solages and agreed with his decision to withdraw from the Aug. 1 event.

“I thought it was the appropriate thing to do,” Ryder said. “I will overemphasize this: He couldn’t have been more of a gentleman about it.”

NOW President Sonia Ossorio, said in a statement: “As we’ve said, it would have been inappropriate for someone recently arrested for domestic violence to join an event celebrating the very police department that made the arrest. We’re pleased that National Night Out events around the area can now continue without distraction.”

Authorities alleged that on the morning of June 21, Solages flew into a rage against his girlfriend when he couldn’t find his marijuana stash inside their Dawson Drive home, and ultimately grabbed her by the neck and pushed her into a wall.

The girlfriend’s 14-year-old daughter and the couple’s 3-year-old son witnessed the alleged assault, authorities have said.

Solages’s girlfriend told police, according to court documents, that he had been abusing her for more than two years.

“He always tells me that he owns the police department and the courts,” she said in court papers. “He believes that if I call the police on him, nothing will happen.”

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.