Police in NY County Make First Arrest Under a Face Mask Ban
TimeAUG 13 2024
Police in Nassau County, a suburb of New York City, announced on Tuesday that they had made their first arrest using a new local law banning the wearing of face masks.Police in Nassau County, a suburb of New York City, announced on Tuesday that they had made their first arrest relating to a new local law banning the wearing of face masks.
Police officials described responding Sunday to reports of a suspicious person near the town line between Levittown and Hicksville. Wesslin Omar Ramirez Castillo, a teenager, was found wearing black clothing and a black ski mask that left just his eyes unobscured.
Police stated Ramirez Castillo was discovered with a 14-inch knife. He was arraigned Monday on charges of criminal possession of a weapon, obstructing governmental administration, and violating the Mask Transparency Act.Police stated that Ramirez Castillo was discovered carrying a 14-inch knife. He was arraigned Monday on charges of criminal possession of a weapon, obstructing governmental administration, and violating the Mask Transparency Act.
This arrest is a great example of how the mask ban was supposedintended to work. Police were able to interrogate someone under the parameters of the ban and then apprehend a dangerous criminal. There should be a statewide ban on masks in order to crack down on criminals who want to obscure their identity.
All this law does is give law enforcement agencies — that are already known for theira history of discrimination and overexcessive aggressivenessaggression — more leeway to violate people's civil rights. Something as benign as wearing a mask should not fall into the police's "reasonable suspicion" power. This law is ripe for abuse.