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Feces-Tossing Protester Arrested in Courthouse Fight, Officials Say

By Ben Fractenberg | March 23, 2012 6:34am | Updated on March 23, 2012 3:34pm

DOWNTOWN — An Occupy Wall Street protester who allegedly poured buckets of human waste in a Downtown public plaza and bank last week was arrested again Monday after trying to break up a fight between a knife-wielding woman and a court officer, according to court documents.

Jordan Amos, 25, a name which a Department of Corrections spokeswoman said is an alias, was arrested on March 19 when a woman he described as his wife brought a knife to criminal court.

The incident came five days after Amos was arrested on charges he poured buckets of human waste onto a Chase plaza and a Chase bank.

Michelle Obando, 21, who was due in court for trial after being arrested Nov. 15, 2011 while police broke up the Occupy Wall Street movement in Zuccotti Park, allegedly vaulted the X-ray machine's conveyor belt after her knife was confiscated by Court Officer Richard White, according to court papers.

"That's my wife, don't treat my wife like that. Let go of her," Amos allegedly said as he tried to pull Obando away from White.

According to the criminal complaint, which charged Amos as "John Doe," White found the knife in Obando's pocket after she tried to pass through security. White told Obando that weapons were not allowed in the courthouse, but that she could voucher it with the officers and retrieve it when she left the building, the complaint said.

But when White placed the knife on top of the X-ray machine, Obando began shouting at him, court papers said.

"It's my property. It's my knife," she yelled. "I bought it. It's mine."

Obando then allegedly jumped over the X-ray machine's conveyor belt and grabbed the knife.

That's when Amos leaped between her and the officer, trying to break up the scuffle, court papers said.

Both Obando and Amos were arrested at the scene and charged with second-degree obstruction of governmental administration, a misdemeanor.

Amos, who was out on $7,500 bail for the waste-tossing incident, was ordered held without bail and is currently at Rikers Island, according to the Department of Corrections. He was entered into the system as "John Doe," but his unique New York State ID number, which is linked to fingerprints, matches the one included on his earlier arrest.

A lawyer for Amos could not immediately be reached for comment.

Obando, who had been released without bail after her 2011 arrest, was released again on March 20 on $1,000 bail. She could not immediately be reached for comment.

Amos and another Occupy Wall Street protester not believed to be Obando allegedly dumped the waste down a set of stairs at One Chase Manhattan Plaza about 8 p.m. on March 14, police said. Then, about 20 minutes later, Amos, acting alone, allegedly poured the feces in a Chase ATM vestibule at 155 Water Street.

Amos was arrested on March 16 and charged with driving without a license, after police traced the van that allegedly transported the waste.

An Occupy Wall Street spokesman said in a statement Thursday, "This was an action that individuals autonomously took it upon themselves to do for their own reasons of which we are not aware."

"For further comment, I'd advise you to contact the individuals themselves," the spokesman added.