Pedestrians traversing through Midtown Manhattan on Friday, June 14 were met with an unexpected surprise when random furniture began raining down on them from a commercial building. Thankfully, no one appears to have been hurt during the incident, but police have made an arrest.
Witnesses say the incident started when a chair seemingly fell off of a building near E. 46th Street near Fifth Avenue. Thankfully, a pedestrian happened to be filming on their cell phone and caught the chair falling on video.
In the footage, which was later posted to social media, the chair doesn’t look like it’s falling. It clearly looks like it was purposely thrown. Immediately after the chair crashes into some scaffolding, a man can be seen looking over the edge of the building.
The man, later identified as 33-year-old Jean Oliver, disappears from view before more furniture started to fall from the building. Pedestrians on the street had no choice but to dodge benches, chairs, and even tables as they flew off the roof. The police were called, and they promptly headed up to the roof and arrested the man around 2:25 P.M.
Oliver has been charged with reckless endangerment, burglary, criminal mischief, and criminal trespassing. Police say that Oliver was on the rooftop unlawfully. It remains unclear what prompted him to begin tossing the items off the roof.
Reckless Endangerment and Similar Charges in New York
In New York, it’s against the law to act in a way that puts other people’s lives at risk. Throwing items off the roof, like in the case above, puts pedestrians in danger, whether the suspect intended to cause harm or not. In the eyes of the law, intent is irrelevant in the case of reckless endangerment charges. This type of crime is considered a misdemeanor, but it still could result in jail time and fines if you get convicted.
Similarly, criminal mischief and criminal trespass are considered misdemeanors that could result in jail time and significant fines. Burglary, however, is a serious felony. Felony convictions come with substantial penalties.
On top of facing the typical jail time and fines, a felony additionally carries consequences once you serve your time and get released. As a convicted felon, you’ll lose the right to vote, possess a firearm, and apply for certain public office jobs.
The best way to avoid the consequences associated with felony and misdemeanor charges is to prevent a conviction altogether. To do that, you’ll need to construct a solid defense strategy. Typically, your best option is to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney to advocate for you.
Here at Bukh Law Firm, our experienced New York criminal defense attorneys are confident that our team can help you navigate the criminal charges you’re facing.
Our attorneys have decades of experience working with clients who have faced criminal charges in New York and the surrounding areas. Schedule a meeting with us now to get started on working out your best legal strategy.
