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Ticketed driver accused of coughing at Westport officer, tells her he has coronavirus

Man had been issued ticket for parking at beach without a resident permit

Posted 7/26/20

Ticketed for parking at a Westport beach without a permit, a man allegedly coughed toward the officer and told her that he has coronavirus and now she has it too.

Westport Detective Sergeant …

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Ticketed driver accused of coughing at Westport officer, tells her he has coronavirus

Man had been issued ticket for parking at beach without a resident permit

Posted

Ticketed for parking at a Westport beach without a permit, a man allegedly coughed toward the officer and told her that he has coronavirus and now she has it too.

Westport Detective Sergeant Christopher Dunn said that at 3:46 pm on Tuesday, July 21, officer Sarah Zielinski was conducting parking enforcement at West Beach in a parking area designated for residents only with a parking permit.

As she was issuing a citation, she was approached by an individual later identified as 29-year-old Steven Lesnikowski of 21 Hitching Post Lane, Northborough.

He stated he did not see the signage requiring a permit for parking and asked Officer Zielinski if the ticket could be torn up,” Sgt Dunn said. She stated the citation had already been written and although she was issuing the citation he had the option to appeal.

Mr. Lesnikowski immediately became very hostile, yelling and swearing at Officer Zielinski. When she went to hand him the citation, he coughed in her direction and then stated he had the coronavirus and now she had it too,” Sgt. Dunn said.

Officer Zielinski moved to the opposite side of the vehicle, police say, and placed the citation under the front passenger’s wiper. Mr. Lesnikowski quickly got into his vehicle and left the scene. “He stopped in the roadway and reached across the passenger compartment to retrieve the citation from the windshield. Officer Zielinski then observed Mr. Lesnikowski throw the citation out the window of his vehicle as he drove away,” Sgt. Dunn said.

Westport Police said that Mr. Lesnikowski phoned the station to speak with a supervisor regarding the citation he had been issued. He said he had a video of the incident but would not provide that video to police when asked.

When he was contacted by a detective, he said that Officer Zielinski was lying and this interaction had never taken place.”

Officer Zielinski requested a warrant for Mr. Lesnikowski’s arrest on the charges of threat of a dangerous substance, assault and battery, and destruction of a parking ticket.

Westport Police are urging anyone who may have been in contact with Mr. Lesnikowski to seek medical attention if they believe they may have been exposed or if they begin to show signs or symptoms associated of coronavirus.

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Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.