FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ A man who was initially stopped for reckless driving is facing more serious charges after he coughed toward a deputy and claimed he had coronovirus, the Martin County Sheriff's Office says.
Christian Perez, 23, was taken into custody after being pulled over, the sheriff's office said in a Facebook posting Sunday. It's unclear where the traffic stop happened.
But after being taken into custody, "he told the deputy he suffered from the contagious COVID-19, so the deputy provided him with a protective mask to cover his face," the posting said.
According to the sheriff's office, at some point Perez took the mask off and began coughing toward the deputy who was eventually able to get the mask on Perez's face again.
In addition to facing charges of driving under the influence and driving without a license, Perez is also accused of assault on a law enforcement officer and threatening a public servant.
"We have zero tolerance for this despicable behavior, and anyone who threatens the health and lives of my deputies will face the maximum charges," Sheriff William Snyder said in a statement.
