A Staten Island pub owner who has openly defied COVID-19 restrictions at his establishment was arrested after he allegedly struck a deputy sheriff with his car early Sunday morning, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Daniel Presti, 34, hit the deputy while attempting to evade arrest by authorities for violating coronavirus public health measures throughout the evening on Saturday, the Sheriff's Office said.
For several hours, deputies watched a stream of customers go into Mac's Public House through an entrance at a neighboring business, guided by a host, to eat and drink without masks on and standing up, according to New York City Sheriff Joe Fucito. About 9 p.m., Presti — who had earlier declared Mac's an "autonomous zone" — left the bar for press interviews, and about an hour later, at least 30 people were counted leaving bar through an exit at the next door business.
Early Sunday morning, Presti left just after midnight and walked down Lincoln Avenue to his parked car on South Railroad Avenue when deputies identified themselves to arrest him.
But they say he fled instead.
Presti allegedly got in his car and drove away, hitting a deputy in the process, according to Fucito. The deputy clung to the hood of the car while Presti kept driving off for 100 yards before the other authorities forced him to stop.
Presti was arrested and taken to the 122nd Precinct without any injuries. He ultimately faced 10 charges for the incident—including a felony charge of second degree assault causing physical injury to an officer. He was also charged with menacing, reckless driving and endangerment, obstructing governmental administration, fleeing an officer, and resisting arrest, according to court records.
The deputy sheriff was injured and taken to Staten Island University Hospital with multiple bone fractures.
Presti was released without bail, online court records show. His next court date is January 11th.
A lawyer representing the bar did not immediately return multiple messages on Sunday seeking comment. Calls to a number listed for Mac's Pub went unanswered Sunday morning.
Deputies had been observing Mac's Pub since 5:30 p.m. Saturday at 130 Lincoln Avenue—the site of protests after Presti was taken into custody last week for obstructing governmental administration after refusing to leave the bar, which had its liquor license revoked late last month. Presti and co-owner Keith McAlarney had been encouraging donations from patrons while serving food and beverages for free, and launched an online campaign to raise $500,000 in their crusade against public health measures intended to mitigate the spread of the deadly virus. (As of Sunday they had raised over $80,000 in online donations.)
Video taken inside the bar on Friday night shows a crowd of patrons without masks cheering a Fox News segment in which Presti declares the bar "officially open."
Mac's Pub is currently located in an orange zone set by the state in Staten Island, where the positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average rose to 7.58% on Saturday as the virus infection rate continues to rise across the city. According to figures from the Governor's Office released Saturday, Staten Island has the highest seven-day average positivity rate of 6.03%, following by the Bronx at 4.6% and Queens at 4.33%.
This article has been updated with additional information on the charges.
