Florida Man Arrested After Approaching Young Boy Wearing a Mask and Spitting in His Face Before Telling Him, ‘Now You Have COVID’

A Treasure Island, Florida man has been arrested after he attacked a young child for wearing a mask. While the specifics of this story have yet to come to light, the Associated Press reports that when the boy did not comply with the request that he remove his mask, the man spit in the child’s face.

The man, Jason Copenhaver, came upon the boy while out at a restaurant. According to the Associated Press, Copenhaver approached the boy’s table to ask him if he was wearing a mask.

Florida Man Arrested After Approaching Young Boy Wearing a Mask and Spitting in His Face Before Telling Him, 'Now You Have COVID'
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Florida Man Arrested After Spitting in Young Boy’s Face

When it was clear that the boy was wearing the mask, the man became angry and told him to remove it. When the boy did not, he attempted to forcibly remove it himself. As the police report stated, Copenhaver grabbed the boy’s hand tightly and then put his face next to the child’s. He went on to tell the boy that he now had the coronavirus.

Florida Man Arrested After Approaching Young Boy Wearing a Mask and Spitting in His Face Before Telling Him, 'Now You Have COVID'
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“[The] victim stated that (Copenhaver) was in such close proximity that spit particles from (Copenhaver’s) mouth landed in his face,” one of the responding officers wrote in their report. It remains unclear why the man chose to harass this little boy in particular, or if the man had known him prior to the incident.

After Copenhaver started putting his hands on the boy, restaurant workers said he appeared drunk and tried to get him to sit down, the AP reported. He then attempted to hit one of the restaurant employees and was also found to not be wearing any shoes. He later told police that he doesn’t know if he had coronavirus despite telling the boy that and admitted he had never been tested.

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Florida Man Arrested After Approaching Young Boy Wearing a Mask and Spitting in His Face Before Telling Him, 'Now You Have COVID'
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It’s unclear how old the child was. It was later reported, that Copenhaver was charged with simple battery and disorderly conduct. He was freed after posting $650 bail. 

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