Man Tangles With Cop After Challenging Protesters at Drag Time Story Hour
‘YOU’RE A F*CKING DISGRACE’
A New York City man was arrested Saturday at a drag event at a public library after a heated argument with a small crowd of protesters escalated into a confrontation with a police officer. The man, a 28-year-old identified by authorities as Chase Catapano, had been at the library for reasons unrelated to either the Drag Queen Story Hour or the protest. In video of the altercation, he can be seen yelling at the protesters, who hold signs reading “Leave Our Kids Alone” and “Shut It Down Now.” “Get the fuck out of here,” he says in a clip posted to social media. “You’re a fucking disgrace. A fucking disgrace!” A plain-clothes officer can be seen approaching Catapano and jabbing a finger into his chest. The footage shows Catapano hitting his hand away before the officer leads him away by the scruff of his jacket. Catapano was charged with obstructing governmental administration, attempted assault, menacing, disorderly conduct and harassment, police said.