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A Nesconset man threatened to kill supporters of Pres. Donald Trump and Rep. Lee Zeldin, according to the police – but his lawyer says that he was simply exercising his First Amendment rights.
"My client has just expressed his dissatisfaction with the administration.That's what the first amendment is aimed at," said lawyer Oksenhendler's lawyer Saturday .
Suffolk County police say Martin Astrof, 75, clashed on Friday with a Zeldin campaign headquarters worker in Nesconset, who, like Trump, is a Republican. After threatening to kill the campaigner and other supporters, the police said that Astrof had supported his car in an "aggressive" manner and had almost hit the worker before he started. ;accelerate.
The volunteer of the campaign, Donato Panico, 49, of Smithtown, said the Clash began after he rolled car window to offer help to Astrof, who cursed and was beating on the door of the campaign office.
Astrof, he says, became more furious when he saw the "Make America Great Again" hat on Panico's passenger seat.
"He was rabid, a thousand times, I've never seen anyone so crazy," said Panico, a former Smithtown deli owner who formed a nonprofit to serve sandwiches police and firefighters.
"Oh my god, this guy has a knife or a gun," Panico said. "All I could think was:" I have to get out of this car, this guy will kill me. "
Panico said that he escaped by the passenger door and then tried to keep the car between him and Astrof, whose threats focused in part on what the defenders call "cages." detain migrant children after their passage in the United States from Mexico
"He's going to put us all in cages, like the kids out there, he's going to shoot us," said Panico.
Panico said that he called 911 while trying to take a picture of Astrof and the registration plate of his car.
Panico, the father of 5-year-old twins, attended Trump's speech on the state of the Union in January at Zeldin's invitation. He said that his wife and a staff member had just left the office a few minutes before the arrival of Astrof.
Astrof was accused of making a terrorist threat and reckless endangering. He was released on bail of $ 25,000.
Oksenhendler said on Saturday that his client, who is a real estate consultant, "vehemently denies" the allegations against him, although he acknowledged that Astrof was angry because of the politicians' policies. Trump immigration.
"My client, like many of us, is outraged by this administration's immigration policies and in particular the policy of separating children from their parents," said Oksenhendler.
Trump reversed the practice of separating migrant children from their parents last month, and allowed families to be detained together.
Astrof is a registered Democrat, according to the voters' records.
"This man is loved by his family, he is adored by his friends, and he is admired by his friends and colleagues," said Oksenhelder. "My client is a husband, a father and a grandfather who has worked hard all his life to take care of his family, and it demolishes him to see families broken without any due process."
His client looks on "working with the district attorney's office to resolve this case in court," said Oksenhendler.
In a tweet on Friday, Zeldin (R-Shirley) said, "In the United States, political scores are set to ballot, not trying to kill your political opponents." Donato Panico is a great American, a supporter of @ realDonaldTrump & one of my campaign flights He should not have been targeted like this today for his passion and involvement. "
Panico said," You do not do this to others, you do not treat people like that, you treat people the way you want to be treated, I respect your opinion, you do not have the right to do it to someone else. on the other. "
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