Who is Devina Singh? Anti-Trump protester who spat in cop's face interned for Congressman Jerrold Nadler
A female anti-Trump protester who was arrested during a night of unrest in New York City after spitting at a cop and yelling 'f*** you fascist' has been identified as Devina Singh, 24, according to a Daily Mail report. Singh, who lost her job as a bartender due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was an intern for Democratic Congressman Jerry Nadler for one month back in 2018. Nadler represents Manhattan's Upper West Side and chairs the House Judiciary Committee. The incident that Singh was arrested for was filmed during an anti-Trump protest in the city this past Wednesday night.
According to reports, the young woman screamed the slur twice before she spat in the face of the NYPD officer. Singh however has claimed that she was "knocked" over by a cop on his bike before the spitting incident and her arm was broken while she was arrested.
Sing who worked as a social work intern for Nadler apparently did not complete her internship. According to Robert Gottheim, Nadler's district director, she "left shortly after the internship started for personal reasons" - she had started working there in September 2018. While Nadler was re-elected on Tuesday, Brooklyn based Singh was arrested along with 57 other people on Wednesday night.
The video of her spitting and screaming foully at the officer can be seen below. While it seems like the officer allowed her to yell, she was immediately arrested the minute she spat on him. The official Twitter account of the Detectives' Endowment Association tweeted the video saying, "This despicable behavior won’t be tolerated! This after setting fires & destroying property. We know law abiding NYers don’t want their cops treated like this. Now we need every elected official to publicly condemn it. Protect yourself & your partners. The DEA will protect you."
This despicable behavior won’t be tolerated! This after setting fires & destroying property. We know law abiding NYers don’t want their cops treated like this. Now we need every elected official to publicly condemn it.
— Detectives' Endowment Association (@NYCPDDEA) November 5, 2020
Protect yourself & your partners. The DEA will protect you. pic.twitter.com/sxAeUswsHM
Singh told Gothamist that while she was thrown to the ground and arrested, she was "roughed up." She revealed that she was "slammed" by a Strategic Response Group officer on his bike, while she was walking on Seventh Avenue. While being arrested, she said she was "dragged" headfirst and she fell "hard"; she also revealed her arm was broken but she was taken to a hospital when she complained of pain.
She also told Gothamist, "I stand by calling them, fascists. It was a peaceful protest until [NYPD] people showed up." The 24-year-old was released on Thursday morning but was given a desk appearance ticket for Obstructing Governmental Administration. There has been no comment from the police confirming or slamming Singh's version of what happened during her arrest. This was not the first time she was taken into custody as Daily Mail reports that on September 18, she was taken in for jumping on a cop's back at Washington Square Park - she has a desk appearance on December 14, 2020, for the case.
Furthermore, she was also one of the people arrested on October 27 for spray-painting graffiti and breaking windows in Brooklyn.