COLUMBUS – Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein has issued a clear warning: He has no patience with phony coronavirus patients.
Anybody who fakes symptoms of COVID-19 to avoid being arrested or getting a ticket will be prosecuted on a number of charges, including falsification or inducing panic, an offense which ranges from a misdemeanor up to a fourth-degree felony.
“The overwhelming majority of Columbus residents are taking the threat of coronavirus seriously and doing their part to keep our community safe. However, there have been a few instances where people have exploited this pandemic to avoid arrest. This inappropriate behavior threatens our first responders and wastes time, money, and our scarce personal protective equipment. When charges are filed in these cases, they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Klein said in a statement issued by his office Wednesday.
Those who have serious medical needs will be assisted, he said, but anyone fakes symptoms to avoid citation or arrest could face a number of charges, including falsification, a first-degree misdemeanor, or inducing panic, which can be a first-degree misdemeanor or as serious as a fourth-degree felony.
Early Sunday morning, Klein says a suspect fleeing the scene of an apparent car break-in on the West Side claimed he had the virus, requiring Columbus police officers to use their personal protective equipment, which is in short supply nationwide, and take extra precautions to keep a safe distance from the suspect.
The suspect claimed to have difficulty breathing and was flailing on the ground coughing.
Columbus Division of Fire paramedics responded to the scene and determined that the suspect was pretending.