wo nearly naked men who drew crowds and kept rescue workers at bay for hours on Thursday when they climbed a tree in Central Park were charged yesterday with a series of misdemeanors, the police said.Posted on 04/24/2004 7:08:19 PM PDT by NYC GOP Chick
wo nearly naked men who drew crowds and kept rescue workers at bay for hours on Thursday when they climbed a tree in Central Park were charged yesterday with a series of misdemeanors, the police said.
The charges included reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, criminal mischief, public lewdness and disorderly conduct, all misdemeanors that the police said were unlikely to result in jail time.
The police identified the men as William Rund, a 32-year-old preoperative transsexual, and Christopher Montero, 17, both of the Bronx. They were spotted in the tree by witnesses in Central Park near 63rd Street about 4 p.m. One man wore only a thong and the other boxer shorts. Some witnesses told the police that the two had oral sex. An officer walking foot patrol nearby was summoned and called for assistance when the men refused to climb down.
The police Emergency Service Unit and a hostage negotiation team were called to the scene, two bucket trucks were brought in and an air cushion was deployed at the base of the tree, the police said.
The police spent the next four hours trying to get the men out of the tree. Whenever the police would try to climb to them, the couple would scamper higher and threaten the officers with broken branches.
Finally, at 8:30 p.m., the men came down and were taken to New York Weill Cornell Center, where they underwent psychiatric evaluation and were released, the police said.
In a word, yes.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.