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Chase Catapano, a Manhattan resident, was arrested by the New York Police Department on Saturday, December 10, following a confrontation with an anti-Drag Story Hour demonstration at a New York public library. He was also accused of allegedly assaulting a police officer.
A video of the incident at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library shows Catapano approaching a group of around 20 protestors holding signs against the event. The 28-year-old man yelled at the protestors to get out of the public library.
In the video posted by NJEG Media, Chase Catapano can be heard yelling:
"Get the f*** out of here! You’re a f***ing disgrace!"
As seen in the footage, Catapano snatched away signs that bore slogans such as "Leave our kids alone!" "Shut it down now!" and "Respect childhood!" from the protestors. However, the protestors followed him when he tried to leave the scene.
Chase Catapano was then stopped by a man who others present at the scene claimed to be an NYPD officer. The video captured Catapano reacting violently to the alleged officer and shoving his hand. A witness can be heard warning him:
"You better watch who you’re touching, he’s an officer."
The video has caused quite a stir on various social media platforms.
Following Chase Catapano's arrest, his father has claimed that he suffers from bipolar disorder
Catapano, 28, was arrested on Saturday for confronting a group of people protesting against a Drag Story Hour event scheduled to take place at a public library in Manhattan. After the incident, Catapano was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, harassment, attempted assault, and obstructing governmental administration.
According to police, Chase Catapano was neither a part of the Drag event nor was he part of the demonstration. His father, Ferdinand "Fred" Catapano, told the Daily News that his son was a frequent user of the computers at the public library and probably would not have responded positively to any disruption because of his mental illness. He reportedly has had bipolar disorder since his childhood.
Ferdinand Catapano further said:
"He seems to find trouble. He’s a good kid. When he was a kid in Forest Park, [a next-door neighbour] would make sure that Chase watched his little kids to make sure they wouldn’t get picked on. That’s what kind of kid he is."
This was not Chase Catapano's first run-in with the law. According to publications, in 2018, he was cited for criminal contempt in the second degree after he allegedly disobeyed a court order which barred him from a property on Staten Island. In 2020, he was charged with aggravated harassment.
The disruptor was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday, December 12, and his bail was set at $4,500. The protestors, on the other hand, commented on the alleged success of the demonstration and told NJEG Media:
"They’re using our taxpayer dollars to fund this. As taxpayers, we have a right to say where our money goes. We went in there and we protest at the drag story and we shut it down early. It was a big success."
Organizers of the event claimed otherwise. A New York Public Library spokeswoman told the NY Post that the Drag Story Hour event continued as planned despite the commotion. The event was aimed at children aged 3 to 9 and was presided over by library officials and local drag queens.
