A quadriplegic YouTube star has been accused of hitting a Miami police officer with his wheelchair in a bizarre incident the likes of which the judge said he had never seen before.
bryant amastto32-year-old, known on YouTube as the artist El Valien-T, faces two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer.
Despite not being able to use his limbs, Amastha is accused of striking an officer with his motorized wheelchair and allegedly spitting on him.
But Amastha denies the allegations against him and described a different narrative.
His story is the first for the Miami-Dade judge.
“I’ve never really seen a case like this,” the judge said in court.
Bryant Amastha, 32, known on YouTube as artist El Valien-T, faces two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer.
When asked if he had, Amastha told Local 10 News, “I absolutely didn’t.”
A YouTube star, Amastha has a large following on social media platforms like Instagram, where she has amassed almost 100,000 followers. She shares music videos featuring her singing and surrounded by dancing women on her YouTube channel.
When asked if he had done so, Amastha said Local News 10‘I absolutely didn’t.’
The incident occurred Wednesday at his home in the Quail Heights area of southwest Miami-Dade during a dispute with his mother.
According to a police report, when his mother was arrested, Amastha became nervous.
“The officer crashed into my wheelchair because I was standing in the driveway, and the driveway is narrow,” Amastha said.
Regarding the spitting incident, Amastha said: ‘Correct. I suffer from acid reflux and usually spit. And I spat in a totally different direction.
He told the outlet that the officers hurt him when they arrested him, handcuffed him and took him out of his chair and put him in a patrol car.
“They mistreated me,” Amastha told the outlet. “They tried to handcuff me with my hands behind my back, which I can’t do.”
The incident occurred Wednesday at his home in the Quail Heights area, southwest of Miami-Dade, during a dispute with his mother.
Despite not being able to use his limbs, Amastha is accused of striking an officer with his motorized wheelchair and allegedly spitting on him.
Despite finding probable cause, the judge allowed Amastha to be released on his own recognizance, noting that he was not a flight risk.
“Obviously, my client is not a flight risk,” Amastha’s attorney told the judge.
Additionally, the judge ordered him to avoid contact with the officer involved in the incident.
Miami-Dade police said they had not received any prior complaints about the incident.
They also said they had not been informed of any allegations of mistreatment during arrest or damage to the wheelchair.
The judge allowed Amastha to be released on his own recognizance, noting that he was not a flight risk.
Amastha, recognized as a Colombian artist and producer, has a large following on social media platforms such as Instagram, where he has accumulated almost 100,000 followers.
He shares music videos of himself singing and, in some cases, surrounded by dancing women on his YouTube channel.
There is body camera footage of the incident, but it has not yet been released.