From the NY Daily News:
Defiant Staten Island pub owner Daniel Presti slammed his car into a sheriff’s deputy in a desperate effort to evade arrest early Sunday after continuing to serve patrons in defiance of coronavirus restrictions, authorities said.
Presti, owner of notorious Mac’s Pub, hopped in his car and hit the gas, sending the deputy flying onto the hood just after midnight when officers tried to arrest him outside his bar on Lincoln Ave. near Edison St., officials said.
The sheriff’s deputy, identified by sources as Sgt. Kenneth Matos, suffered two fractured tibias. He was taken to Staten Island University Hospital.
The pub, Mac’s Public House, has been the center of resistance to covid lockdown measures, including a public protest.
On Wednesday, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Grant City bar one day after it was shut down after publicly declaring itself an "autonomous zone" and not adhering to New York's COVID-19 measures.
The crowd stopped traffic outside, demanding the bar be allowed to open for business. Sheriff's deputies stood outside the entrance of the bar, which was shut down after it insisted on continuing indoor food and drink service. But that didn't stop protesters from screaming in anger at not only the officers outside, but also Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for implementing the restrictions that prevented the bar from operating inside service. The bar is located in an orange zone, which bans all indoor dining.
Bar co-owner Keith McAlarney has kept his bar open the past two weeks that the orange zone has been in place on this section of Staten Island. He said he needed to stay open because it meant he'd be able to pay the bills and feed his family, but now is calling on other small businesses to join in his fight.
FWIW, here’s my take on this.
This is on the Republican Death Cult and right wing media. They are deliberately using the pandemic to create division, refusing to pass aid bills — except for big business and the rich — and leaving their base hung out to dry while pitting them against Democratic governments trying to do the right thing. They are spreading disinformation and death for power.
And they’ll turn on anybody.
When the cops are coming down on people of color in cities that are trying to deal with long standing social injustice and systemic racism, when they’re using tear gas and rubber bullets to clear away peaceful protestors, they’re heroes. When they are trying to enforce guidelines that keep people alive — against the preferred narrative of the right wing that calls it a liberal hoax and tyranny — they’re oppressors.
If someone was going around taking actions that deliberately put themselves and other at risk, at the very least they might be put into protective custody. If really bad, they’d be facing arrest and possible jail time. At worst — they wouldn't survive an encounter with the police, depending on who they were.
So WTF do we do when it is an entire political party and media complex engaged in this? At some point this isn’t just about hanging on to wealth and political power. This is a sick need to inflict pain, to see people suffer, to feel power over others.
Monday, Dec 7, 2020 · 12:56:51 AM +00:00 · xaxnar
Update: one more thing.
Presti was released without bail at his Sunday arraignment in Staten Island Criminal Court.
He ‘s charged with assault with intent to cause injury to officer, reckless endangerment, fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, obstructing government justice, resisting arrest, assault with intent to cause injury, menacing, reckless driving, failure to obey police officer, and unsafe movement of stopped motor vehicle.
Good catch by wayneonly
Funny how that works...