Three Houston-area women allegedly assaulted a New York City restaurant hostess after she questioned their coronavirus vaccine status. New York City Police officials confirmed three women were charged with one count of assault each.
Carmine's on the UWS says a hostess was assaulted after asking a group for proof of Covid vaccine to eat inside. "It's a shocking and tragic situation when one of our valued employees is assaulted for doing their job – as required by city policies…" @NBCNewYork after football. pic.twitter.com/xrqZoNm74R
— Adam Harding (@HardingReports) September 17, 2021
In a now-viral video the women are seen pushing through a podium outside of the restaurant Carmine's, lunging toward the hostess. Several bystanders intervened.
New York City officials recently instituted a policy requiring restaurants to ask patrons for vaccination proof to dine indoors. Some media reports of the incident state the woman showed vaccine cards, but the hostess questioned if they were real. NYPD officials said they couldn't confirm the details.
Andrew Rigie is the executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance. He told Gothamist this may be the first reported assault regarding the vaccine policy.
The hostess was treated for her injuries which included lacerations to her face. The women were placed in a holding cell and were released after receiving a desk appearance date.
An NYPD spokesperson would not confirm the identities of the three women, but The New York Times reports them as Kaeita Nkeenge Rankin, 44, and Tyonnie Keshay Rankin, 21, of Humble, and Sally Rechelle Lewis, 49, of Houston.
This story originally appeared on Texas Public Radio. TPR was founded by and is supported by the community. If you value its commitment to the highest standards of responsible journalism and are able to do so, please consider making your gift of support today.