You are reading

Unmasked Police Officer Taunts Subway Rider at Astoria Station

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.


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.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

The best pumpkin picking patches near New York City

Sep. 7, 2024 By Barbara Russo, Kaitlyn Riggio and New York Family

October is almost here which means it’s that time again to go pumpkin picking. Head to one of these pumpkin picking farms in and near New York City to pick from a variety of gourds, munchkins, and other pumpkins.

South Richmond Hill senior killed after fire breaks out in his illegal basement apartment on Thursday afternoon

A 72-year-old man was killed after a fire engulfed his illegal basement apartment in South Richmond Hill on Thursday afternoon.

The FDNY received a call just after 5 p.m. of a house fire at 94-14 132nd St. Firefighters confirmed the blaze broke out in the basement. The FDNY dispatched 12 units and 60 firefighters and EMS personnel to the scene. Paramedics rescued the 72-year-old victim, and EMS rushed him to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition. He succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead a short while later.

Woman allegedly choked in Queensboro Hill by robber who snatched her bag containing thousands in cash: NYPD

Police from the 109th Precinct in Flushing are looking for a strangler who robbed a 63-year-old woman in Queensboro Hill on the night of Thursday, Aug. 29.

The victim was walking on a residential block near the intersection of Frame Place and Maple Avenue just before midnight, when a stranger approached her and began to choke her. The perpetrator snatched her bag, which contained $6,000 in cash, her wallet and an iPhone.