Rockland County man charged with assaulting state trooper at SUNY New Paltz encampment
NEW PALTZ - A Rockland County man was arrested Tuesday and charged with assaulting a state police investigator by throwing a bottle during last week's encampment at SUNY New Paltz.
The alleged incident happened shortly after midnight Friday morning, while state police and other law enforcement officers were dispersing the crowd.
State police said they arrested Aiden P. O'Brien, 20, of New City, on Tuesday. They did not indicate whether O'Brien was a SUNY New Paltz student.
According to state police, an investigation determined O'Brien allegedly threw a metal Gatorade bottle, which struck one of their investigators in the face, giving him a cut above his left eye.
More: Ulster County's sheriff, executive respond to 132 arrests at SUNY New Paltz protest
The investigator was taken to a local hospital, where he received several stitches and was released.
O'Brien was charged with second-degree assault, a felony; second-degree reckless endangerment and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, both misdemeanors; and disorderly conduct and trespass, both violations.
At SUNY New Paltz, 132 people were arrested Thursday night, including 72 enrolled students, 11 alumni and three current and former employees. The college's administration had given students the deadline of 9 p.m. to dismantle the encampment in order to receive amnesty and to continue with dialogue. Tents had been taken down, leaving a table, hammocks, tarps and signs when law enforcement arrived on campus around 10 p.m.
O'Brien was arraigned in Town of Plattekill Court and sent to the Ulster County jail in lieu of $5,000 cash bail, pending a future court appearance. The name of his attorney was not immediately available.
Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Heraldz-Record and the Poughkeepsie Journal. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com.
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: SUNY New Paltz arrest: Man charged with assaulting NYSP investigator
