A man was arrested for battery and disorderly conduct for allegedly spitting on a boy and telling him he “now has coronavirus.”
Jason Copenhaver, 47, walked up to the boy on Sunday at a restaurant in Treasure Island, Florida. He asked the boy if he was wearing a face mask, according to the police report. The boy said yes, and Copenhaver told him to take it off and asked to shake his hand.
The boy refused, according to police, then Copenhaver grabbed the boy’s hand and said “you now have coronavirus” while standing close enough to the boy for spit to land on his face.
The police report also notes that Copenhaver was believed to be under the influence of alcohol, and tried to hit an employee at the restaurant who asked him to sit down. Staff was able to walk him outside and hold him on the ground until police arrived.
Once in custody, Copenhaver told police he doesn’t know if he has coronavirus and has never been tested.