Odenton Man Claims To Have Coronavirus, Spits On Another: Police

ODENTON, MD — A 32-year-old Odenton man claimed to have tested positive for the new coronavirus and spit on a man, then argued with Anne Arundel County police officers after they were called to his house for a report of an assault Monday at approximately 3 p.m.

A caller reported having been involved in an altercation with his landlord's son, William David Edings, the Capital Gazette shared. The caller told police he had approached Edings after discovering the kitchen sink reeked of urine. Edings then called the man a racist name accompanied by profanities.

The man told police he went into his bedroom to avoid Edings, but Edings kicked in his door and gave him 30 days to move out. The man then went to his vehicle in order to leave the house, but Edings followed him and spit on the man's arm twice, according to court documents.

When officers arrived, they found him sitting in a chair on the front porch. He was described as uncooperative and began coughing uncontrollably. Edings told officers he had tested positive for the new coronavirus and had a doctor's note ordering him to self-quarantine for two weeks, the Baltimore Sun shared.

Then he stood up and approached the three officers “coughing and spitting on the ground,” court records indicated. This led officers to distance themselves and threaten to tase Edings if he didn’t back up. He finally complied.

Court records indicate that officers saw Edings leave the house through the garage and take his dog for walk, coughing and spitting on the ground. He has been charged with second degree assault and four counts of exposure by an individual who has an infectious disease. Edings was not arrested by police, but instead ordered to stay inside, court records show.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the new coronavirus is believed to spread person-to-person by those in close contact with one another, approximately 6 feet, and through respiratory droplets. It may be possible that a person can get coronavirus by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, the CDC stated.

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