Man Attacked Nassau Bus Driver Who Told Him He Needed Mask: Cops

ROOSEVELT, NY – A 32-year-old man beat a Nassau County bus driver with a cellphone after the driver told the man he needed to leave the bus because he wasn't wearing a mask, police said.

Carre Handhel, of Elmont, entered a Nassau Inter-County Express bus at the Nassau Road/East Clinton Avenue stop in Roosevelt shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday, police said.

The bus driver, a 67-year-old man, saw that Handhel was not wearing a protective face mask as required by state regulations and informed him that he would need to exit the bus unless he had a mask to put on, police said.

Handhel became irate and began striking the bus driver on the top of the head and face with his cellphone, causing the driver to suffer lacerations, police said.

Handhel then left the bus and 911 was called, police said.

A short time later, officers were able to locate Handhel and place him under arrest without further incident, police said.

The bus driver, who police did not name, was transported to a local hospital where he received sutures and staples to close his wounds.

During his arrest processing, Handhel was found to be in possession of a white powdery substance believed to be MDMA, also known as ecstasy, police said.

An investigation revealed that Handhel also made two bomb threats on the telephone to a Baldwin Metro PCS store Wednesday and on a 911 call he initiated Thursday, Handhel said he was going to start shooting people in the Roosevelt-area, police said.

Handhel was charged with three counts of second degree assault, third degree criminal possession of a weapon, seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and three counts of falsely reporting an incident. He will be arraigned in First District Court in Hempstead Friday.