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Tourist Accused Of Taking 'Irresponsible And Illegal' Selfie On Brooklyn Bridge Arrested In Tennessee

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A college student from Tennessee who found his way onto an unauthorized area of the Brooklyn Bridge and took a selfie in June, has been arrested in his home state, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.

Police said his actions were "irresponsible and illegal."

David Karnauch of Tennessee told CBS2 he walked across an overhead beam on the bridge and took the selfie while standing on a side railing.

"I didn't have any clue that NYC is ramping up security," Karnauch, of Chattanooga, told CBS2 via Skype. "There was nobody there to stop me from climbing onto the bridge."

Karnauch was arrested Aug. 17 in Chattanooga and held as a fugitive of New York. His court date is listed as Aug. 31.

In a statement, NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counter-terrorism John Miller said Karnauch's actions did not constitute a "security breach," but were still ill-advised and forbidden.

"The person most endangered was the individual, whose goal seems to be bringing attention to himself," Miller said in a statement to CBS2. "It was however, irresponsible and illegal. Had the officers patrolling the bridge arrived while he was there, he would have been arrested, as others have been."

David Karnauch
David Karnauch of Tennessee told CBS2 he walked across an overhead beam on the bridge and took the selfie while standing on a side railing. (Photo: Hamilton County Sheriff's Office)

The Brooklyn Bridge has been the subject of several high-profile trespassing incidents in the past year.

In August of last year, Russian tourist Yaroslav Kolchin was arrested for allegedly scaling the bridge. He claimed he only wanted to take photos of the top.

On July 22, two American flags on the Brooklyn Bridge's towers were replaced with whitewashed versions of Old Glory. Two German artists later claimed responsibility.

The New York City Department of Transportation later installed new barriers to prevent anyone from climbing to the top of the span.

David Karnauch's Brooklyn Bridge Selfie
College student David Karnauch took this selfie on an unauthorized section of the Brooklyn Bridge. (Credit: David Karnauch)
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