Making non-violent Resisting Arrest charges a felony - as both Bratton and NYPD union heads have recently suggested - would be a gross overreaction by lawmakers that's ripe for abuse, inherently racist, and would create a chilling effect on peaceful 1st Amendment activity.

1. Resisting Arrest disproportionately affects people of color.  As WYNC reported last December: "NYPD officers appear to be far more likely to file resisting arrest charges against black suspects than white suspects"
2. Resisting Arrest is a red flag for police abuse. As WYNC reported last December in a separate story: "Police departments around the country consider frequent charges of resisting arrest a potential red flag, as some officers might add the charge to justify use of force (...) Just five percent of officers who made arrests during that period account for 40% of resisting arrest cases — and 15% account for almost 3/4 of such cases."
3. Felony convictions are life-altering stains preventing people from voting in several states, getting loans, getting a job, or seeking government services. It is far too severe a punishment for Resisting Arrest.

4. Resisting Arrest charges are often used to arrest protestors when no other charge can be leveled. As NPR noted last week: "Carter, the former officer, agrees that police sometimes feel they have to arrest someone to "save face." But he says some unjustified arrests also come out of officer fatigue — a breakdown of what he calls "resiliency" toward challenging members of the public, especially in protest situations. 'Resisting arrest' charges may also be a way to lend legitimacy to controversial arrests. In the post-Ferguson protests, people reported cases of police loudly yelling "stop resisting" at people they arrested, even when no resistance was apparent."