Dyersburg, Tenn.–A man claiming to have COVID-19 coughed on Dyersburg Police Officers and was charged with Aggravated Assault. He now faces an additional charge from a previous incident with police.
According to the press release issued by Dyersburg Police, on Tuesday, April 28, officers responded to a trespassing complaint in the Pioneer Subdivision.
Officers encountered Brandon McCaslin, age 38, from Dyersburg. McCaslin resisted arrest, and during the encounter he coughed on the officers and informed them that he had COVID-19.
According to the release, McCaslin was then charged with Aggravated Assault, after he purposely coughed on the officers and insinuated that he was attempting to infect them. McCaslin then told the officers that he was joking about being infected with the virus, which then led to the additional charge of filing a false police report.
McCaslin, who is still incarcerated, was served with an additional warrant last night for Retaliation for Past Actions, following threats that he made against an officer. The charge stems from an incident on April 16, when police responded to Parr Avenue, in reference to a naked man walking in the tree line near Lewis creek.
Officers identified the man as McCaslin, who was nude and walking in the field next to the creek. As officers approached, McCaslin went down into the creek and would not come out. Due to the hazardous conditions in the creek, and McCaslin’s behavior, officers attempted to negotiate his surrender. After lengthy negotiations, McCaslin was taken into custody and was charged with public intoxication.
April 17, McCaslin requested to discuss his arrest from the previous day with an officer. McCaslin made several threats to harm one of the arresting officers, which resulted in the additional charge. McCaslin remains in jail pending a May 1 court appearance.