A Brooklyn couple was removed off of an NYC ferry after they refused to wear a mask. The couple claims they were discriminated against because they refused to follow the policy due to a medical condition.
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The couple’s encounter with NYC Ferry staff and police was recorded Saturday night after they were asked several times to put on a mask. In a report by Gothamist, the ferry’s captain asked the couple to put on a mask or to exit the boat but they claimed their medical conditions permitted them to ride without a mask. They were allowed to board but became aggressive towards their fellow passengers and ferry employees which led them to contact police.
“We’re being targeted. We’re being shamed.” (I spoke to the couple prior to this. They’re planning to sue, and encouraged me to film.) pic.twitter.com/SRLG6kqiqM
— Jake Offenhartz (@jangelooff) September 6, 2020
For 45 minutes, the couple refused to comply with the policy before the police arrived at the scene. One NYPD officer asked for documentation regarding their medical condition but the couple refused to follow the officer’s request. The woman told the outlet that she felt discrimination and claimed, “If we were f—ing Black, I can guarantee you that guy would never come out and tell us put a mask on.”
They’ve been handcuffed and removed from the boat. pic.twitter.com/jD9eO0cCnR
— Jake Offenhartz (@jangelooff) September 6, 2020
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The officers did ask the couple to exit off of the boat several times but they refused as well and it led up to them being escorted off the ferry in handcuffs. The woman also said she and her husband, David, are in the process of suing the MTA for a similar incident. A summons was issued to the couple for disorderly conduct.
SOURCE: Business Insider