Mask clashes result in 1 arrest so far

Local police agencies say they’ve received only a few reports of mask-related, verbal altercations during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As of Monday, only one such dispute had turned violent and resulted in an arrest.

On July 20, a 54-year-old Vero Lake Estates man was arrested and charged with battery after allegedly punching a 63-year-old island man in the face and knocking him to the ground during a late-morning clash in the produce section of the Publix supermarket at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Barber Street in Sebastian.

According to a Sebastian Police Department report, the incident occurred when Charles Contes, of State Road A1A in Vero Beach, approached another shopper, Harold Pierini, and told him he needed to wear a mask inside the store.

The conflict escalated as the two men began yelling at each other – at least one obscenity and one gay slur were exchanged, Pierini told police – prompting Pierini to punch Contes in the mouth, causing the older man to fall.

The responding officer “did not observe any injuries” and Contes said he didn’t need medical attention, the report said, adding that Publix did not have a video recording of the incident.

Pierini was not taken into custody but was issued a Notice To Appear in court. Both men were given trespass warnings, prohibiting them from returning to the store.

“That’s the only mask-related incident that escalated to the point where an arrest was made,” Sebastian Police Lt. Tim Wood said. “We’ve had calls regarding people making snide remarks, but it hasn’t been a big problem for us.

“It’s not something we’re dealing with on any kind of a regular basis.”

Vero Beach Police Chief David Currey, Indian River Shores Public Safety Director Rich Rosell, Fellsmere Police Chief Keith Touchberry and Indian River County Undersheriff Jim Harpring all said their agencies have received few complaints of confrontations sparked by the mask debate.

Vero Beach police did respond to a July 21 disturbance outside City Hall, where protesters and supporters had gathered for the City Council’s public hearing on a proposed mandatory-mask order.

According to the police report, a woman intervened in a verbal disagreement between two men, confronted one of them and threatened to “cough in his face” if he didn’t back away. Witnesses said the woman later coughed at the man and others she disagreed with in the gathering.

No arrests were made, but a social media video that began circulating after the incident shows the woman, who appears to be an anti-masker, leaning toward a masked man, half-heartedly raising her hand to her mouth and derisively coughing at him.

“We’ve had two City Council meetings on the mask issue, and we did have some people going back and forth verbally at the first one, but we were there, and it didn’t amount to anything,” Currey said.

“I’m sure there are people out there making comments to each other, and we’ve responded to a couple of complaints, but nothing that has risen to the level where I’d hear about it.”

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