Morse Mordancy was attempting to protect a teenage girl from a pedophile when he became the suspect in a crime. The incident occurred on a bus in Queens, New York.
According to Mordancy’s Facebook post and cellphone video, he saw Pablo Levano, 36, sit next to a teenage girl who was alone. Levano began harassing the girl with sexual innuendo as she attempted to ignore him. He soon began speaking Spanish and grabbed the girl’s hand and began rubbing on her inner thigh. At that point, Mordancy, 21, decided to step up.
Mordancy grabbed Levano and yelled at him, “Don’t you ever do that s— again, you hear me? Don’t touch her again.” Levano attempted to stab Mordancy, but Mordancy was able to hold him until the police arrived. But instead of immediately arresting Levano, the police handcuffed Mordancy. All of the police who were initially on the scene were White or Hispanic.
Mordancy and the other bus passengers attempted to explain that he was stopping a sexual assault, but the officers ignored them and kept the handcuffs on his wrists. He was placed in the back of a police car where he continued to explain why he was innocent.
Mordancy remained in the back of the police car until a Black sergeant came and released him from custody. But without the arrival of the Black sergeant, Mordancy may have been taken to jail.
It was a small incident that shows how racial profiling can occur on all levels. Mordancy was a hero who could have been placed in jail for standing up to an alleged pedophile.
Since the incident occurred, the cell video has gone viral and reached over two million views.
Following the incident, the female victim presented Mordancy, who is also a rapper, with a rose and thanked him for his actions.
