Elderly Florida Man Charged With Committing Aggravated Battery On Elderly Man To Maintain Social Distancing images-1There is a truly bizarre criminal case out of South Beach in Miami. Nachem Gross, 72, is charged with aggravated battery for an attack on Gerald Steiglitz, 86, in an elevator. Putting aside the fact that both are elderly, the battery was an effort of Gross to maintain social distancing to avoid Covid-19. The incident was caught on video. The world has gone completely mad.
In the video from the 44-story Portofino Tower in South Beach, Gross successfully waves off a young woman who tried to enter the elevator. When it came to ejecting or blocking Steiglitz, Gross seems to struggle with how to shove back the man in a Covit-19 way. He ends up using his elbow like a variation of a Covit handshake.
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Gross, who is elderly, faces an aggravated charge due to the victim being elderly. Presumably, the same conduct would not have been charged as an aggravated battery if he shoved away the young woman on the preceding floor.
The concept of a battery to preserve social distancing may seem a tad odd, but Gross’ attorney, Michael Grieco, says that “This is a straight-up Stand Your Ground self-defense case.” This needs some unpacking. The idea is that you can stand your ground to prevent the statistically small chance of contraction (with all masked individuals) by physically assaulting a person to maintain social distancing. This logic by the way sends you to a police station with a far greater chance of exposure to the virus.
If the virus does not cause permanent damage, working through that logic will.
The shove is not forceful but it was enough to send the 86 year old into a hallway table where he suffered a bruise. To his credit, Gross does get out of the elevator to check on Steiglitz.
Gross is now facing a third-degree felony.
The relevant provision appears to be:
784.08 Assault or battery on persons 65 years of age or older; reclassification of offenses; minimum sentence.—
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Poster Comment:
This is truly amazing. I wonder how Covid-19 will affect concert goers since most shows people are standing or sitting cheek by jowl. ;)