Protester who allegedly assaulted NYPD cop arraigned, released without bail
A protester who allegedly assaulted an NYPD cop amid violent demonstrations earlier this week was arraigned on felony charges and released Thursday without bail.
Claire Haviland, 22, was among 29 protesters who were arrested Tuesday night as rowdy demonstrations erupted in Brooklyn and Manhattan over Monday’s fatal shooting of 27-year-old Walter Wallace Jr by cops in Philadelphia.
At her arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court, she was hit with a felony charge of assault in the second-degree and a count of obstructing governmental administration in the second-degree.
Haviland, who did not enter a plea during the brief court appearance, was ordered released on her own recognizance after prosecutors asked the judge for supervised release.
When pressed about the charges outside of the courthouse, Haviland denied that she attacked a cop.
“I didn’t assault any police officer. No I did not,” Haviland claimed, adding, “I was arrested for protesting. I did not hit a cop…I do have footage. I can’t get it because they have my phone.”
The NYPD said Haviland was busted for elbowing and grabbing a cop as he tried to arrest someone for making graffiti on the David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building in Lower Manhattan.
According to a criminal complaint, Haviland had bear-hugged a separately charged defendant – Maria Valenzuela Silva – as a cop was attempting to place her under arrest for making graffiti.
Once the inspector from the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group removed Haviland away from Valenzuela Silva, she struck him in the stomach, causing bruising and pain, the complaint says.
Haviland then grabbed the cop’s inner thigh and “forcefully” squeezed him, causing redness and pain, according to the complaint.
Her next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 27.
Haviland’s Facebook page has images supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and is filled with posts calling for others to take to the streets in protest.
“If you’re not at the rally’s or in the front lines, you do not know what the BLM movement shines light on, you only know what the news is telling you,” Haviland wrote in a Sept. 3 post.
In that post Haviland bashed President Trump, saying: “Trump wants to molest your little sister and daughter, he wants to kill your gay/trans friend, he wants to deport your legal citizen grandparents/parents and he wants to arrest and kill all of the those who are not white. Your support for trump is killing and putting risk on those you love.”