2 Who Climbed Tree in Central Park Are Charged With Misdemeanors

New York Times ^ | 4.25.2004 | Mark Santora

[NYC GOP Chick]

April 25, 2004

2 Who Climbed Tree in Central Park Are Charged With Misdemeanors

By MARC SANTORA

wo nearly naked men who drew crowds and kept rescue workers at bay for hours on Thursday when they climbed a tree in Central Park were charged yesterday with a series of misdemeanors, the police said.

The charges included reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, criminal mischief, public lewdness and disorderly conduct, all misdemeanors that the police said were unlikely to result in jail time.

The police identified the men as William Rund, a 32-year-old preoperative transsexual, and Christopher Montero, 17, both of the Bronx. They were spotted in the tree by witnesses in Central Park near 63rd Street about 4 p.m. One man wore only a thong and the other boxer shorts. Some witnesses told the police that the two had oral sex. An officer walking foot patrol nearby was summoned and called for assistance when the men refused to climb down.

The police Emergency Service Unit and a hostage negotiation team were called to the scene, two bucket trucks were brought in and an air cushion was deployed at the base of the tree, the police said.

The police spent the next four hours trying to get the men out of the tree. Whenever the police would try to climb to them, the couple would scamper higher and threaten the officers with broken branches.

Finally, at 8:30 p.m., the men came down and were taken to New York Weill Cornell Center, where they underwent psychiatric evaluation and were released, the police said.

[Sacajaweau]

Cold water from a fire hose would have been nice. Add in the "shrinkage" factor and it's a roar.

[bannie]

Benny Hill

[VoiceOfBruck]

From now on, whenever I visit Central Park, I'm bringing a slingshot!

[VoiceOfBruck]

...William Rund, a 32-year-old preoperative transsexual, ...

I don't understand. Is it a man or a woman?

[Aliska]

where they underwent psychiatric evaluation and were released

Ahem. Now if that had been a heterosexual up the tree doing something comparable, they would have been committed and put under court order to take meds.

[Jalapeno]

It's all in fun until someone loses and eye....

[NYC GOP Chick]

It's all in fun until someone loses and eye....

Or, in the case of the pre-transsexual, he's about to lose something else!

[Young Rhino]

all misdemeanors that the police said were unlikely to result in jail time.

OTOH, putting homosexuals in jail would be like a taxpayer funded sex romp for them.

[deport]

Normally I'm against cutting trees down but there are exceptions :')

---

A little selective pruning is necessary at times.... Even mother nature does it with wild fires, etc.

[CindyDawg]

True :')

[weegee]

...a 17-year-old boy and a 32-year-old preoperative transsexual

Ah yes, consenting "adults".

[weegee]

Another abused tree :')

If it is bestiality when a man has sex with an animal, what is it when a man has sex with a plant (like a tree)?

[no dems]

That young dude is so ugly that's probably the only way and the only person he could have any sex with.

[canuck_conservative]

' At one point, the older of the couple broke off a branch and threatened to throw it at cops, before demanding a vanilla diet Pepsi.

When police handed up a regular old diet Pepsi, the 32-year-old hurled the can to the ground, screamed, "Vanilla!" and declared, "What I say goes!" '


You can't make this stuff up.

[Tabi Katz]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!! The shrink who examined them must have had a field day!

[Ed Condon]

The shrink that examined them, RELEASED them.

[Tabi Katz]

Sounds like he needs some serious therapy himself.

[CindyDawg]

Or maybe such a political hot potato, the doc didn't want to touch it.

[CindyDawg]

ping

[Tabi Katz]

LOL! Couldn't blame him for that!