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

One Comment

Click for Comments 
BBSL

Seriously, people?? This is what gets yer gander with the cops — not the outrageous driving and parking but this harmless thing???

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

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

Recent News

Unlicensed but essential: Street vendors seek reform amid enforcement fears

Jun. 23, 2025 By Jimmy Robles

Many street vendors in New York City face significant challenges from the moment they set up their stands, striving to make an honest living. With more than 20,000 food vendors operating across the five boroughs, an estimated 75% do so without a license or permit, due in large part to the city’s decades-old cap on available permits.

Repeat hate crime offender charged in anti-Muslim subway attack in Forest Hills: DA

A Southeast Queens man is being held without bail after he was criminally charged with assault in the first degree as a hate crime and other charges for allegedly punching and kicking a Muslim woman on an E train in Forest Hills during the early morning hours of Wednesday, June 18.

Naved Durrni, 34, of 106th Avenue in Jamaica, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Thursday and additionally charged with aggravated harassment in the first and second degrees.

Hate Crimes Task Force investigating bomb threats against Mamdani: NYPD

The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force launched a probe into multiple death threats made against Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani after his district office at 24-08 32nd St. in Astoria received four expletive-filled phone voicemails, on various dates, making threatening anti-Muslim statements by an unknown individual, including a threat to blow up his car.

The calls were made from an untraceable number and labeled the mayoral candidate a “terrorist who is not welcome in New York or America” in a message phoned in on Wednesday morning.

Seven teens indicted for attempted murder in brutal Kissena Park gang attack on two girls: DA

A Queens grand jury indicted seven teenagers for attempted murder, gang assault, robbery, and other crimes for an attack on two girls inside Kissena Park in Flushing in early May.

The defendants, who are all 17 years old, were variously arraigned in Queens Supreme Court between June 4 and Wednesday in two separate 25-count indictments with two counts of attempted murder in the second degree. If convicted, they face up to 25 years in prison.

Queens Defenders founder charged with stealing nonprofit funds as second scandal unfolds

The founder of the Queens Defenders and her husband have lawyered up after they were indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the non-profit organization.

Former Queens Defenders executive director Lori Zeno, 64, surrendered Wednesday at the Brooklyn federal courthouse. Zeno was arraigned on an indictment charging her and Rashad Ruhani, 55, with wire fraud conspiracy, theft, money laundering conspiracy and other crimes.