"Viral Video Sparks Charges for Woman Who Pepper-Sprayed Conservative Influencer on SEPTA Bus"
In a shocking turn of events, a 22-year-old woman has been charged with assault and disorderly conduct after pepper-spraying a conservative influencer on a SEPTA bus earlier this month. The incident was captured on video and quickly went viral, garnering widespread attention from social media users.
Paulina Reyes, who was riding the bus when she got into an argument with Frank Scales, a prominent right-wing influencer, pepper-sprayed him during a heated exchange. Scales had been critical of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Democrat who has been a vocal opponent of the Trump administration.
The viral video shows Reyes calling Scales a "fascist" before attempting to pepper-spray him, and later accusing him of using his platform to insult Muslims, Black people, and Mexicans. Reyes also asked her friend not to record her during the altercation, but the video continued despite her requests.
Reyes' defense claimed that she pepper-sprayed Scales because he refused to stop filming her. She stated that she did what she thought was the safest thing to protect herself.
The case has sparked concern among officials and social media users alike. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday described the incident as "senseless" and emphasized that violence will not be tolerated in politics.
Scales, who runs the website Surge Philly, has become a prominent figure in conservative circles after his appearances at protests and events. He has also been critical of Krasner's opposition to Act 40, which authorized the appointment of a special prosecutor for SEPTA-related crimes.
Reyes, a student at Community College of Philadelphia, was charged with simple assault, harassment, disorderly conduct, and possession of an instrument of crime. She was released on her own recognizance after being arraigned Thursday morning and is set to appear in court on March 3.
The incident highlights the increasingly volatile nature of politics and the need for peaceful expression of dissent. As one social media user noted, "violence will not be tolerated" in this kind of situation.
In a shocking turn of events, a 22-year-old woman has been charged with assault and disorderly conduct after pepper-spraying a conservative influencer on a SEPTA bus earlier this month. The incident was captured on video and quickly went viral, garnering widespread attention from social media users.
Paulina Reyes, who was riding the bus when she got into an argument with Frank Scales, a prominent right-wing influencer, pepper-sprayed him during a heated exchange. Scales had been critical of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Democrat who has been a vocal opponent of the Trump administration.
The viral video shows Reyes calling Scales a "fascist" before attempting to pepper-spray him, and later accusing him of using his platform to insult Muslims, Black people, and Mexicans. Reyes also asked her friend not to record her during the altercation, but the video continued despite her requests.
Reyes' defense claimed that she pepper-sprayed Scales because he refused to stop filming her. She stated that she did what she thought was the safest thing to protect herself.
The case has sparked concern among officials and social media users alike. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday described the incident as "senseless" and emphasized that violence will not be tolerated in politics.
Scales, who runs the website Surge Philly, has become a prominent figure in conservative circles after his appearances at protests and events. He has also been critical of Krasner's opposition to Act 40, which authorized the appointment of a special prosecutor for SEPTA-related crimes.
Reyes, a student at Community College of Philadelphia, was charged with simple assault, harassment, disorderly conduct, and possession of an instrument of crime. She was released on her own recognizance after being arraigned Thursday morning and is set to appear in court on March 3.
The incident highlights the increasingly volatile nature of politics and the need for peaceful expression of dissent. As one social media user noted, "violence will not be tolerated" in this kind of situation.
. I mean, Scales was being super aggressive towards Reyes and called her some pretty nasty names, but then she goes all out with the pepper spray 
. It's not like a normal argument where you can just calmly walk away or talk things through. This is politics we're talking about, where emotions run high and people can say really hurtful stuff 
. I don’t think it’s okay that Reyes didn’t have the courage to stand up for herself in a non-violent way, but at the same time, I also don’t think Scales should just be able to yell at someone without consequences 
. Maybe we need to find a middle ground where people can express themselves without resorting to physical violence or hurtful words 
?
... I mean, she's got a point about Frank Scales being a bit too extra and using his platform to stir up hate 
... but at the same time, pepper-spraying someone is kinda extreme, even if he was filming her 
... I don't think it's right that she's getting charged with assault, though - I mean, wasn't she just defending herself? 
. The fact that someone got so upset and decided to pepper-spray another person over a disagreement is just crazy 
. And honestly, it's scary when we see grown adults behaving like this in public 
. I think the woman who got pepper-sprayed should've taken a step back and tried to de-escalate the situation instead of letting things get out of hand 
.
I'm not saying Reyes was entirely wrong for trying to defend herself, but maybe there were other ways she could've handled the situation? Like, talk things out with Scales or try to get some help from SEPTA staff?
And while I'm all for standing up for what you believe in, we need to make sure we're doing it in a way that doesn't harm others.
I gotta say, people are getting way too worked up over this whole thing... like, yeah, pepper-spraying someone isn't cool, but at the same time, Scales was totally being a troll by trying to film her and then calling her all those racist names 
. Anyway, it's not like Reyes broke any new ground by resorting to pepper spray - we've seen this kind of crazy stuff happen at protests and rallies for years... so let's not act all shocked 
. She did seem pretty angry when she pepper-sprayed him and called him some nasty names 
. But at the same time, I can see why she might've felt threatened - he was being super confrontational and filming her without her consent 
.
but someone who can just talk it out without resorting to pepper spray or any other kind of aggression.
. But noooo, she decides to lash out in public and now she's facing charges 
. It's crazy how quickly we forget that everyone has the right to express their opinion, even if they're not gonna agree with us 
.
she's 22 years old and still in college - can't she just talk it out or walk away? 
and now she's facing charges which is no joke 
i mean, I'm all for standing up for what you believe in but there are better ways to do it than resorting to violence 
. But at the same time... pepper-spraying someone on a bus? That's just not cool 
. And the fact that she asked her friend not to record it but the video still got out there? That's some crazy tech right there 
.
? I mean, I know he's got an opinion and all, but come on, man... you can disagree without being a fascist 
.
... it's just not productive and can escalate really quickly. Can't we try to find common ground and listen to each other without getting so heated? 