And after he left Biltmore, Patrick Faber went to the Queen Street Police Station, where he remained for about 3 and a half hours before he was taken to the Magistrate's Court to be arraigned.
He pleaded not guilty to both charges of aggravated assault and obstructing a police officer. There was no objection to bail, which was in the sum of $1,000, and so tonight, Faber is a free man - until his next court date.
Following the proceedings, his attorney, Orson "OJ" Elrington explained that they believe these charges are politically motivated.
OJ Elrington, Attorney for Patrick Faber
"The officer who laid these charges is the same officer that charged the young man for carrying a five-gallon water bottle. Let's begin there. Secondly, this same officer is the son of a PUP executive member in the Collet Division. Let's make that clear."
Reporter
"Is this is a suggestion then that there's some political motivation here?"
OJ Elrington, Attorney for Patrick Faber
"It's not a suggestion. It is a clear, unequivocal fact, all right, which we will, which that in the civil jurisdiction will be dealt with in that court, which we will be filing or claims there, right?"
"But insofar as to what happened last night, the Honorable Patrick Faber was leaving his - from Raccoon Street, his political area. He was going to his home in the Buttonwood Bay area. He was stopping to get some food when the police ran up up stop and accused them of running a light whatsoever."
"Now, the Honorable Faber absolutely saw nothing. As he said in his statement, he gave a clear, full statement to the police today, all right, in which he made it clear that there was no, he did not see anybody, he did not stop anywhere and he was not speeding, he was not driving fast whatsoever, which we must articulate another point which right now, which is the fact that we have seen accusations that somehow he was under the influence."
"If ever there was a situation where that is not true, when you already bring false charges, if that was the charge, that would have been a charge, wouldn't they have been? so let's take that out of the conversation all together."
Reporter
"What do you make of your client's seeming provocation where he stood..."
OJ Elrington, Attorney for Patrick Faber
"Have you heard the word... so you are telling me now it is provagatory for you to what record a police officer doing their job? that is exactly the premise upon which..."
Reporter
"I was looking at how close the proximity with which he was."
OJ Elrington, Attorney for Patrick Faber
"So you guys are assaulting me right now, sorry you're assaulting me, you're assaulting me, you're assaulting me... these cameras are too close to me. Come on Paul absolutely not."
Elrington emphasized that Faber did not actually touch the police officer, and that recording him isn't a crime. But he added that it was the officer who tried to push the phone out of his face, which they have tried to file a counter complaint against.
OJ Elrington, Attorney for Patrick Faber
"It is a beautiful thing now, even in this circumstance, that we get to be an example of what is proper and improper police work. It is not the first nor the last time that police officers will assault citizens who are doing nothing more than recording them which they have a right to do."
"In fact, the case of Shamar Foster proves, do you remember that case? Proves that police officers can assault you if they slap your hands out, your phone out of your hand which is exactly the set of circumstances which we are looking at right now."
"This is the exact pattern, except Shamar Foster is a young man and Mr. Farber is not so young. Aye, man. Is that obstruction for you to record?"
Reporter
"Based on the police officer's interpretation of Mr. Farber's action, he's accusing Mr. Farber of obstruction."
OJ Elrington, Attorney for Patrick Faber
"Yes, he's accusing...that's what I'm saying. I don't know what is the basis upon which they are going to find that obstruction charge because you have to be doing something that the person obstructs and recording under no law, recording and this is critically important for us to put on record because this is something which the police consistently over and over do. They violate the rights of citizens by being abusive. That is an assault, you have no authority to slap the phone out of anybody's hand."
Reporter
"Have you guys felt that counter complaint as yet?"
OJ Elrington, Attorney for Patrick Faber
"We tried to, we tried to do so of which the police completely ignored and denied and we have it on record again, recording saying we want to make a complaint. That is why we were so late here because you see, let me tell you, the police did not even do an investigation. Mr. Faber arrived at the police station to a charge sheet without even getting his side of the story."
"You understand that? So again, it is a most unfortunate set of circumstances but the Honorable Faber has wide shoulders on which to, to which to carry these burdens."