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Homeless Man Stabs Library Patron For Allegedly Looking At Porn
By
Ben Yakas
Published May 16, 2012
Modified May 16, 2012
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By
Ben Yakas
Published May 16, 2012
Modified May 16, 2012
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New Yorkers may have a constitutional right to look at porn in libraries, but that doesn't mean your fellow patrons are just going to put up with it. A homeless man allegedly stabbed a 52-year-old man for perusing porn at the Brooklyn Heights Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library last night. “I’m innocent. My wife was there and he’s looking at porn,” suspect Ralph Neptune said as he was being arrested.
The incident occurred around 7:20 p.m. Tuesday night, when Neptune alleges he saw the victim looking at porn on a computer screen. “He was with his wife and he accused the other guy of looking at porn,” one police source told the News. “The guy looking at porn picked up a chair and hits him. The guy who was offended said, ‘I have a knife,’ and stabs him in the chest,” the source added. Neptune's wife then started screaming, “How are we going to get back to Peekskill?”
The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Neptune has been charged with assault, criminal possession of a weapon, menacing and criminal possession of marijuana. Check out more about the rich and storied history of creepy dudes checking out porn on city library computers, and the efforts of some councilmen to take away this freedom.
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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