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An Ohio man has been indicted on multiple charges after allegedly claiming that he had COVID-19 and intentionally coughing in the face of officers, paramedics and hospital staff.
A grand jury returned a four-count indictment charging 32-year-old Walter Ray Poindexter, of Cleveland, with false information and hoaxes, U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman announced on Wednesday.
According to court documents, on March 14, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Police Officers responded to calls of an intoxicated individual aboard a downtown trolley where they found and subsequently arrested Poindexter due to an outstanding warrant in the county.
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During Poindexter's processing for public intoxication and a parole violation warrant, he claimed he had a hard time breathing and that he had coronavirus, court documents say.
When officers attempted to bring Poindexter into the jail, it is alleged that he "purposefully" coughed in the officers' faces and later "intentionally" coughed in the direction of the jail's nurse "after repeatedly claiming that he had coronavirus," court papers say.
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After Poindexter was transferred to a local hospital for evaluation, he "repeatedly claimed to have coronavirus and once again" coughed and spit in the direction of paramedics, police officers and hospital staff, according to court documents.
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It is also alleged that while the paramedics attempted to move the defendant to a hospital bed, he decided to spit directly in the face of a paramedic.
Both the paramedic and Poindexter were tested for COVID-19. Both tests came back negative for the virus.
If convicted, Poindexter's sentence will be determined by the court pending review of various factors surrounding the case including any prior criminal record, if any, his role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation, court papers say.
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