Unmasked NYPD cop harasses man who photographed him on subway — "America is so free. That's the problem."

Alex Fermin was in New York City's 46th St. station when he spotted some cops who weren't wearing covid masks, as they are currently required to around other people. He asked them to mask up, and one of the two, identified as Powell, squared up to him and threatened him—"what are you going to do about it?"—then told him "You know what's the problem with you guys? America is so free. That's the problem."

A quick transcript:

FERMIN: You're harassing me now.

OFFICER POWELL: What are you going to do about it? I'm harassing you?

FERMIN: You asking me what I'm going to do about it?

OFFICER POWELL: So what are you going to do about it?

FERMIN: About you not wearing a mask on the subway? I took a picture.

OFFICER POWELL: Go tell the city. Go tell the mayor.

FERMIN: It doesn't matter. Nothing's going to happen.

OFFICER POWELL: Be sure to tell them my shield number, fifteen— *crosstalk*

FERMIN: You get told on every shift you have to have a mask when you're interacting with the public

OFFICER POWELL: You can't tell me that.

FERMIN: Your boss can. But your boss can.

OFFICER POWELL: You can't, right? You know what's the problem with you guys? Because America is so free. That's the problem.


The officer appears to be this one in a 2018 NY Post story about him being racially profiled by his fellow officers and getting disciplined for complaining about it.