Hamptons bicyclist files police report after verbal confrontation with CNN’s Chris Cuomo: report
A Long Island, N.Y., bicyclist has filed a police report after getting into a testy exchange with CNN anchor Chris Cuomo in front of a Hamptons home on Easter Sunday, according to a New York Post report.
The reported filing with the East Hampton Police Department came after Cuomo shared a story on his SiriusXM radio show on Monday about a “jackass, loser biker” who got in his “space” because he was in the front yard with two women and three children at the home, which is still under construction. The bicyclist told the Post that Cuomo had purchased the property.
The Cuomo family is currently living in nearby Southampton, where the anchor and host has been broadcasting from his basement while under quarantine.
Cuomo announced on March 31 that he had tested positive for coronavirus, prompting an outpouring of support from media members and viewers of his CNN prime-time program. The 49-year-old said as recently as Tuesday night that he is still suffering from a low-grade fever.
Two weeks after first testing positive for coronavirus, @chriscuomo shares an update on how his battle is progressing: “My body is not ready until it’s ready.” pic.twitter.com/9dP6q6vEbZ
— Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) April 15, 2020
The Long Island bicyclist, a 65-year-old man who only identified himself as David, told the Post he decided to file a police report to document the alleged incident in case he feels “that this guy’s a threat to me.”
The bicyclist told the Post he’s lived in East Hampton for most of his life.
David said the verbal confrontation occurred after he saw Cuomo outside on Sunday.
“I just looked and said, ‘Is that Chris Cuomo? Isn’t he supposed to be quarantined?’” David said after one of the two women there approached him. “I said to him, ‘Your brother is the coronavirus czar, and you’re not even following his rules — unnecessary travel.'”
“‘Who the hell are you?! I can do what I want!’ He just ranted, screaming, ‘I’ll find out who you are!’” Cuomo responded, according to David.
“He said, ‘This is not the end of this. You’ll deal with this later. We will meet again.’ If that’s not a threat, I don’t know what is,” David added.
Cuomo talked about the back-and-forth on his SiriusXM program, “Let’s Get After It,” on Monday while explaining that being a public figure prevents him from firing back at people talking “bullshit” to him.
“I want to be able to tell you to go to hell, to shut your mouth,” Cuomo said. “I don’t get that doing what I do for a living, me being able to tell you to shut your mouth or I will do you the way you guys do each other.”
“I don’t want some jackass, loser, fat-tire biker being able to pull over and get in my space and talk bullshit to me, I don’t want to hear it,” he added.
The Hill has reached out to the East Hampton Police Department. SiriusXM referred The Hill to CNN for comment.
Cuomo joined CNN in 2013 as a morning anchor before earning a prime-time show in 2018, with the program quickly becoming the top-rated show on the network in its 9 p.m. slot.
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