Captured on cellphone videos, Marcus Anthony Moratelli walked into the fast food restaurant where multiple families with small children were eating and began to take off his clothes. McDonalds’ employees told WRC-TV that he was walking around cursing and arguing with himself. Once police arrived to the Riverdale Park location, Moratelli continued to walk irately around the restaurant, ignoring the commands, pepper spray and stun gun shots from officers.
“The individual was incoherent, hallucinating, dazed confused — again, behaviors indicative of an individual under the influence of PCP,” Police Chief David Morris told WRC. Morris also said the man did not appear to feel any pain.
As two police officers chased Moratelli — who at this point was shirtless but still wearing baggy shorts — around the restaurant and eventually outside, multiple patrons recorded the altercation on their cellphones as they moved out of the way.
Eventually Moratelli was subdued outside of the restaurant and appeared to be bleeding heavily, as the altercation between the three continued for several minutes in the drive-thru lane of the restaurant. Multiple cars appeared to be blocked as their passengers witnessed the situation.
“He got everything he deserved,” one McDonalds patron can be heard saying in the video.
Another woman is heard saying, “and then they blame the police when they do not obey” as she criticized those who were taking photos of altercation.
Morris said his officers used “considerable amount of restraint” and their use of force was necessary to subdue Moratelli He also noted that the striking of an individual with a baton to the knees would have brought “the normal individual” to the ground.
According to WRC, police said Moratelli has a criminal history which includes drug charges. He was taken to the hospital after he was finally subdued where doctors confirmed that he was high on PCP.
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