3 Charged With Resisting Arrest At Vigil For Queens Rapper

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — Police charged three people with resisting arrest and obstruction during an impromptu vigil outside Queensbridge Houses for the rapper Kiing Shooter, who lived in the public housing complex.

The NYPD arrested two Queensbridge residents and an Astoria man at the crowded vigil Tuesday after they refused orders to disperse, in violation of social-distancing rules that call on New Yorkers to stay six feet apart from one another, according to a police spokesperson.

They received desk appearance tickets and are expected in court Sept. 2, a spokesperson for the Queens district attorney's office said.

Police have been issuing summonses and making arrests to enforce a statewide stay-at-home order enacted in March to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.

(Keep up with news in Astoria and Long Island City by subscribing to Astoria-Long Island City Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Using the NYPD to enforce the rules has been controversial among both the police department and activists.

The head of the largest police union, Police Benevolent Association president Patrick Lynch, said he wants the city's to pull cops off social-distancing enforcement: "The cowards who run this city have given us nothing but vague guidelines and mixed messages, leaving the cops on the street corners to fend for ourselves," he said after videos surfaced of a violent arrest in Manhattan.

Meanwhile, activists and public defenders argue that the NYPD's enforcement measures target communities of color. The department has not released data on the demographics of those who received summonses or were arrested for violating social-distancing rules.

Coronavirus In NYC: Latest Happenings And Guidance

Email PatchNYC@patch.com to reach a Patch reporter or fill out this anonymous form to share your coronavirus stories. All messages are confidential.