Corona-virus as a Weapon

Two local incidents that we know of - here's the first:

• A 21-year-old college student from Wilmette allegedly coughed in the face of a Chicago police officer and said he had coronavirus.
  
  Anthony Ponzi struggled with police who stopped him at the scene of a two-car collision in Rogers Park around 7 a.m. Sunday in the 700 block of North Wolcott, Cook County prosecutors said. Officers said Ponzi was “slurring his speech and was profusely foaming at the mouth” as he yelled at police and another driver, according to a police report.
  
  Officers smelled alcohol on Ponzi’s breath, but Ponzi denied he’d been drinking, prosecutors said Monday. When officers reached to check Ponzi’s eye response, Ponzi allegedly yelled “Corona, ok!”, stepped toward the officer and coughed in his face.

The booking photo is just what you'd expect. However, this is outrageous:

• Judge Charles Beach granted Ponzi released on his own recognizance, noting he had no prior criminal convictions.

Virus or no, previous convictions or no, this is still an Aggravated Battery of a Police Officer, which should be treated as one of the highest crimes there is - especially during a pandemic.

We can't "shelter in place."

We can't just sit at home and collect a paycheck like teachers.

We can't police via video feeds - like the judge held the bond hearing.

The second incident is still on-going according to a bunch of e-mails. Overnight, following an arrest, the offender decided to spit all over officers on the west side, resulting in half the building being shut down, ten exposure reports and ten IOD reports.

Crimesha's office is - so far - refusing even look at felony charges. The offender will probably walk out before noon today.