Police Officer Powell at the 46th Street station in Astoria (twitter and GMaps)
Aug. 31, 2021 By Allie Griffin
A NYPD officer taunted a subway rider at an Astoria station Saturday morning after the straphanger snapped a photo of the cop without a mask covering his face.
Alex Fermin took a photo of two officers who had their masks under their chins inside the 46th Street station and continued on his way, he said on Twitter.
The officers, however, called him out for taking the photo and allegedly followed him onto the platform.
Fermin said one of the officers, Karim Powell, was harassing him so he pulled out his phone to record the interaction.
NYPD officer Powell and his buddies harassing me at 46th St. station after I took a perfectly legal photo of them not adhering to mask guidelines… he said “what are you gonna do about it” and “you know what’s the problem with you guys… it’s because America is so free” pic.twitter.com/FL4tsv2fS3
— Alex Fermin (@alex_fermin_) August 28, 2021
Powell — who had his mask below his chin — asked Fermin what he was going to do about him not wearing his mask properly.
“Tell the city and tell the mayor,” Powell said in the video.
The NYPD requires all officers to wear masks over their nose and mouths when interacting with the public, regardless of their vaccination status. The MTA also requires the public to wear masks inside subway stations and on trains.
“You can’t tell me when to wear my mask, alright?” Powell said repeatedly in the video recording.
He then started to walk away, but turned around and said the problem with people like Fermin is that America is free.
“You know what’s the problem with you guys?” Powell said in the video. “Because America is so free, that’s the problem.”
Fermin said he was left shaken by the interaction.
“I’m still experiencing PTSD from prior NYPD violence…so now I’m just shaking and trying to calm my racing heart,” he tweeted afterwards.
Fermin told multiple outlets that he was arrested during a protest following the death of George Floyd last summer. He said Saturday’s interaction triggered lingering trauma from his arrest.
The NYPD didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
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26 Comments
The amount of conservatives posting here is disconcerting. Logic is now politicized. Has been for 12 years, at least. We now live in a black and white world. Coffee or tea? Chicken or pasta?
You make no effort to connect your comment to this situation or anyone commenting on this situation!
The amount of conservatives posting here is mostly one gullible guy. Just compare the writing patterns and vocabulary usage or lack of. He just “borrows” others posting handles changes his posting tags and creates fake conversations.
I have witnessed many NYPD officers on the subway with their masks pulled down, and I find it really troubling. It is a problem when the people who are charged with enforcing the rules consider themselves exempt.
With no mask to begin with!
What’s your point???
Pulled down? At least they have a mask!!! Many people on the subway don’t even carry a mask anymore!!!
Two NYPD cops are bored and have nothing better to do, so they bust the balls of a random civillian.
I have lost count of the number of times this has happened to me.
Alex Vermin
Aaaw, you would think he had seen our brave men blown up in Afghanistan to have such “PTSD”. Send in some social workers.
You don’t bring a cameraphone to a gunfight.
Its been such a hot and humid summer. Those subway platforms are dangerously hot especially if you are spending a lot of time on them without getting on the train. The nypd is probably only assigning vaccinated cops to patrol the subway and on the video the platform seems pretty empty. There are so many people that walk around looking for anything they can post for followers and likes. I do not suggest you record civilians on the subway for not wearing masks properly especially poc.
Astoria is full of Karen’s and Ken’s.
He’s a well known troublemaker always annoying cops.
Was Alex trying to get himself to go viral? The cops were ordered to work through the pandemic, when there were no vaccines and no masks; they don’t need taunts from Alex.
If YOU BEHAVE YOURSELF!!!
This could of ended very differently if they both were not cops and this man was talking pictures or video taping two young male subway riders for not wearing a mask.
It sounds like he is looking for a payday by any means necessary. Next step NY 1 and Tony “Flips” Fauci on the podcast.
This same officer attempted to sue the city for $5 million dollars due to “emotional damages” after being arrested by fellow officers. Looks like he wasn’t emotionally damaged enough to prevent him from harassing citizens. He is unfit to serve the public and shouldn’t be cashing in on our tax dollars.
What a show off this guy is looking for a confrontation
The officer taunted him, huh? Looks to me like the officers may have been taking a break, “not interacting with the public”, with their masks down when Alex “taunted” them. Maybe Alex wouldn’t have felt shaken if he didn’t approach the cops.
Alex is also promoting a GoFundMe on his Twitter for someone to get their BMW repaired after they crashed it a month after taking insurance off their car!! An adult would sell their overpriced car that they obviously can’t afford and purchasing one that they can afford. Insurance is not an option! Who is raising these idiots!
The victim should sue the MTA nypd and the city. Then give the money to the poor and undocumented.
You can’t be a victim when you instigate.
Tell that to Brianna Wu.
Will you STOP using my post name!!
This guy has nothing better to do. Leave the cops alone!
PTSD?
Gimme a break, snowflake.
Another transplant that landed in NYC causing trouble , get a life and a job and get out of NyC please ! Why does it concern himself if the cop isn’t wearing a mask , why is he in the cops face ?hes looking for trouble and now he’s upset ? The lack of respect from these whiny young people is just getting worse . These young cops don’t make enough to deal with these jerks on a daily basis
I hope Adams removes the NYPD useless commissioner and puts back the backbone in NYPD like they have been doing before Mr Whimpy Deblasio