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Bed-Stuy theater caretaker arrested for alleged trespassing

The caretaker of an historic theater in Bedford-Stuyvesant has been arrested for trespassing there despite allegedly having permission to be on the property. Protesters rallied against the arrest of 77-year-old

News 12 Staff

Mar 28, 2012, 9:37 PM

Updated 4,638 days ago

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The caretaker of an historic theater in Bedford-Stuyvesant has been arrested for trespassing there despite allegedly having permission to be on the property. Protesters rallied against the arrest of 77-year-old Clarence Hardy outside the Slave Theater this afternoon. They claim he was inside the building after allowing a state-licensed engineer to inspect it. Officials with the Department of Buildings (DOB) closed the theater after a partial collapse in February, adding that it had racked up more than 25 building code violations since 1991. Hardy's lawyers say they hired the engineer to address the violations and that he was granted verbal permission from the DOB to enter the building. Hardy's son also says he personally alerted the 79th Precinct to the inspection. The lawyers also say their client may sue the NYPD after the trespassing charges are dropped. Part of Slave Theater's building collapses