FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Newly released dash camera video from the Florida Highway Patrol captured the arrest of a man painting over pro-Palestinian messages on Interstate 95. The man told troopers that he thought what he was doing was the right thing.
“I just want to delete that’s it, I tried to delete it,” Yoni Maimon said on police footage.
Maimon, 30, ended up in cuffs, but in the end, his charges were dropped.
The arrest happened on Jan. 2 after police received a report of a possible vandalism along I-95 near Marina Mile Boulevard.
Troopers found Maimon with a can of spray paint in his hand, attempting to cover pro-Palestinian messages. By the time troopers arrived, he had already covered two sections reading “Free Gaza” and “Free Palestine” with silver paint.
Not long after they arrived, the dashcam video showed Maimon being placed in cuffs and put in the back of a cruiser, where he tried to explain to troopers that he didn’t create the graffiti and was trying to get rid of it.
“Why didn’t you call us? Why didn’t you call law enforcement?” the trooper said.
“I didn’t know I can call because I saw people do it so I wanted to delete it,” said Maimon on police video footage.
“You didn’t draw?” a trooper said.
“No, of course not,” Maimon said. “I just want to delete everything over there with the spray. I just want to delete. I’m from Israel and it’s a big fight right now with Israel and Gaza.”
Maimon told troopers that his boss was the one who sent him to do it. He works for a non-profit organization that helps Jewish families in South Florida and in Israel.
“We’re only trying to cover hate. This guy is an angel,” said Eran Hazan, Maimon’s boss, in an interview with 7News. “He helps families from the moment he wakes up in the morning until he goes to sleep.”
Hazan said he thinks FHP went too far that day.
FHP responded with “The arrestee is not the company hired to remove any graffiti. Therefore is considered vandalism/criminal mischief.”
“It’s not your property,” a trooper said.
“I know,” Maimon said.
The case was turned over to the Broward State Attorney where prosecutors painted a different picture for proceeding and chose to drop it. The state attorney said that the defendant in this case was covering up something he thought was offensive and was not attempting to destroy property.
Maimon said he’s learned his lesson but doesn’t regret what he did. He also said that he will report any graffiti instead of taking matters into his own hands.
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