Lewis at Zuccotti on Friday afternoon.

Retired Philadelphia police captain Ray Lewis has returned to Zuccotti Park after being arrested yesterday morning during protests for Occupy Wall Street. Mr. Lewis told us police released him from custody last night around 9:00 p.m. and said that he had been treated well.

"I, along with other protesters that I saw, were treated exemplary and professionally," he said.

We asked if fellow police officers had commented at all on his actions. "One said 'You've got the biggest balls,'" said Mr. Lewis. "Another said he had the utmost respect for what I'm doing." Other officers were more discreet but Mr. Lewis said he also got a few winks and nods.

Mr. Lewis plans to spend at least another week in New York City and told us he is lodged in "the cheapest hotel that I can find." He added that cheap hotels unfortunately come with problems.

"I'm going to have Thanksgiving at the square," he said.

 

Captain Ray Lewis arrested (Photo via @AdamGabbatt)

Retired Philadelphia police captain Ray Lewis-- whom we profiled yesterday after a video emerged of him giving a speech down on Occupy Wall Street-- has been arrested, according the an official OWS press release.

From an email we received from OWS, titled "Thousands Occupy Wall Street; All Entry Points to NYSE Blockaded" (Emphasis their's):

At least 200 people have been arrested so far for peaceful assembly and nonviolent civil disobedience, including retired Philadelphia Police Captain Ray Lewis. "All the cops are just workers for the one percent, and they don't even realize they're being exploited," Mr. Lewis said. "As soon as I'm let out of jail, I'll be right back here and they'll have to arrest me again."

A NYPD spokesperson was unable  to confirm individual arrests, they did comment that "multiple arrests have been made in relation to the protests" and the charges were still pending.

Fox29 in Chicago was able to confirm the arrest, which happened earlier in the morning. A photo emerged on Twitter, via user @AdamGabbatt, showing Mr. Lewis in dress uniform, arguing with an officer. The New York Observer's Emily Witt saw him taken into custody on Nassau and Pine just after 9:00 a.m.