NYPD Arrests Demonstrator for Spitting on Officer after Sneezing..Charged with Resisting Arrest, etc

Ok, I just saw this on Twitter re-tweeted by Anonymous (there was no link), and Googled it. This is all I could find.

It's NOT a mainstream news source, as I couldn't find one but it seems legitimate enough (and has a vine clip, which only shows a small part of what happens. I haven't been able to find anything else.

A peaceful protest against the city’s decision to budget $170 million to hire 1,300 new cops resulted in at least one arrest Tuesday night — because a protester sneezed.

“I was standing right next to him,” said Daniel Ismael Aguilar, who shot the video. “I saw him sneeze, but nothing even came out of his mouth – no spit or anything – and then the cop called to other cops and they all started chasing him.”

At the 19th Precinct, Inspector Grant told the protesters that the man would not be released with a Desk Appearance Ticket, as is protocol for the minor offenses protesters are typically charged with, because he would likely be charged with assaulting an officer for “spitting on a cop.”

Link

This is absolutely crazy, and is a perfect example of everything we've been saying about over-policing and over-use of force.

Granted, this video only shows a few seconds, but in it we see a guy appear to sneeze—while behind a police barricade—and the cop subsequently going after him.

There's also a livestream video of the demonstration HERE, but I haven't had the chance to watch it.

And here's a NY Daily News Link, which I don't really want to use, but it has this:

Matthew Martinez, 23, was busted on the Upper East Side during a Tuesday night protest against the hiring of 1,300 more NYPD cops.

. . .

But cops said Martinez spat at officers around 10 p.m. in front of Gracie Mansion — Mayor de Blasio’s home.

When they attempted to stop him, Martinez took off and jumped in a cab, police said. Cops caught up to him, but he resisted arrest by allegedly flailing his arms.

It doesn't appear that he spit, unless the spittle that left his nose/mouth because he didn't cover them, but still this is ridiculous.

a reply to: Liquesence

I am so tired of the bad cop stories.

Could it be people act like idiots? Not all the time. I'm sure there are "bad cops" but honestly?

Give me a #ing break.

a reply to: highfromphoenix

I'm tired of them too. I'm even more tired of bad cops doing bad things when they're supposed to be bastions of respectability.

I don't think sneezing is an idiotic act, however. There appears to be no reason for that cop to start chasing that guy after he sneezed.

I would, however, like to know the *whole* story.

Sounds kinda like a fake sneeze to me. But that's gonna be a ridiculous case to take to court, especially if the officer wasn't hit with anything.

a reply to: Shamrock6

I'll bet it was one of those "cough, Dirty, cough, cough PIG" sneezes. "AW Swine" or whatever....I can't think of anything creative right now, but I'm sure the guy that "sneezed" did! LOL

Still, unless the guy "hocked a lugie" on the officer, which IS illegal, it seems like the officer just didn't like whatever sarcastic remark the guy covered under a sneeze. It's still free speech though, right?

originally posted by: Liquesence
a reply to: highfromphoenix

I'm tired of them too. I'm even more tired of bad cops doing bad things when they're supposed to be bastions of respectability.

I don't think sneezing is an idiotic act, however. There appears to be no reason for that cop to start chasing that guy after he sneezed.

I would, however, like to know the *whole* story.

Why not wait to know the whole story before starting a thread that cries foul to the NYPD?

Sneezing isn't the idiotic act, but I'll tell you what, someone sneezes on me, I'm going to have a problem with it. There are myriad ways to avoid the mucus coming out of your mouth or nose from getting on other people. I can't watch the video from where I'm at right now, but I'll try to remember to look it up later.

But, hell, my 11-year-old son knows how to cover his mouth when sneezing more ways than he can count. This may just be a case of discarded manners, but even discarded manners can end in law violations from time to time.