A man who punched a woman after arguing over wearing a face mark while riding on a county bus is facing an assault charge.
Police said Ernest Ryshaun Clay, 43, of Riverhead, was aboard a Suffolk Transit bus this morning and got into an argument with a female passenger who asked him to put on a face mask while riding the bus, according to Southampton Town Police.
The two got off the bus at a stop on the traffic circle at Peconic Avenue, where Clay punched the woman, causing a laceration to her head.
Flanders Northampton Volunteer ambulance treated the victim at the scene, police said. Her identity was not released by police.
Clay was taken into custody and transported to Southampton Town Police headquarters for processing on a charge of Assault in the Third Degree.
Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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