Alec Baldwin assaults tourist, police say

By Marnie Hunter, CNN • Updated 5th October 2017 Police say they are still combing through thousands of pages of evidence collected in the Alec Baldwin impersonation probe. The actor was arrested Sunday morning…

Alec Baldwin assaults tourist, police say

By Marnie Hunter, CNN • Updated 5th October 2017

Police say they are still combing through thousands of pages of evidence collected in the Alec Baldwin impersonation probe.

The actor was arrested Sunday morning after a confrontation at a hotel in upstate New York between police and fellow tourist Stan Jaffe.

The 85-year-old, New York City native reportedly flashed a middle finger and lunged at officers as they tried to question him.

Jaffe told reporters he was trying to find out why Baldwin had said, “I punched him in the face. He’s lying” to him.

New York State Police spokeswoman Trooper Melody Rodgers said Jaffe’s face and his homeowner’s insurance policy have been covered by a $25,000 insurance policy on a piece of jewelry he mentioned while trying to extort the actor.

“It’s a puzzle,” she said of the case. “There’s a lot of evidence and we’re just trying to put it all together.”

She declined to reveal how long the investigation will take.

The “30 Rock” star allegedly punched a “confused” tourist in the face in front of the famous Sagamore Resort in Windham, New York, police said.

He also told a reporter for the New York Post “I did nothing wrong. They put me in jail. I did nothing wrong,” he said on the sidewalk.

“I was kicked out of the country. My passport was taken away. They slammed my face into the wall.”

But Baldwin, 57, has insisted that he was acting in self-defense after accusing Jaffe of touching him inappropriately.

He did not turn himself in to police Sunday afternoon after posting $7,500 bail.

“Since the episode this morning in New York, I have been advised not to speak with the media,” he said in a statement released by his publicist Jordan Walzer. “The legal process is underway and I intend to cooperate fully. Please respect my privacy during this time.”

CNN has attempted to contact Jaffe by phone and email.

CNN’s Oscar Holland contributed to this report.

Leave a Comment