Man who pulled down mask and spat on another gets 10 years
A mask-hole who assaulted a man who asked him to cover his nose at the height of the pandemic will now spend 10 years behind bars.
It all started when Shane Michael, 42, went to the Vision 4 Less eyewear store on Merle Hay Road in Des Moines, Iowa, last Nov. 11, reported the Iowa Capital Dispatch.
His mask was not covering his nose, the newspaper said, citing police and court records.
Customer Mark Dinning asked him to pull it up, but instead Michael followed him outside and assaulted him, police said. During the scuffle Michael allegedly kneed Dinning in the groin, lowered his mask completely, spat and coughed on him and yelled, “If I have it, you have it!” according to the newspaper.
Michael’s account had Dinning as the aggressor, the Dispatch said. Nevertheless he was arrested and charged with assault causing bodily injury, turned down a plea deal that would have reduced the charges and given him probation, and insisted on a jury trial.
Three witnesses corroborated Dinning’s account, the Des Moines Register reported.
Prosecutors upped the charges to willful injury causing serious injury, which mandates a 10-year prison term. Then he lost his gamble with the jury.
