The co-owner of a Staten Island bar, which declared itself an autonomous zone to avoid state shutdown orders, is accusing authorities of conspiring against him.

Thirty-four-year-old Daniel Presti of Mac's Public House claims the city Sheriff's Office worked in conjunction with Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio in a coordinated effort to persecute him.

Presti’s attorney is calling for the resignation of NYC Sheriff Joseph Fucito.

Last week, a grand jury declined to pursue criminal assault charges against Presti in connection with a December incident where video appeared to show him striking a sheriff's deputy with his car. It's a charge Presti and his legal team say was an operation to discredit him.

"What happened that night, and the facts did come out, is I was chased down ... in the middle of the night, on a dark street, by people who did not identity themselves, and it happened for one specific reason: and that was to silence me,” Presti said. “The city, the governor, and the sheriffs were on the defensive. So what did they do? They tried to flip the script."

Presti and his attorney's claim that the deputy sheriff he hit with his car was not as seriously injured as officials had claimed. 

Mayor de Blasio said Monday that he was surprised that Presti dodged the assault charge.

"I'm shocked, honestly, I'm just shocked. These are law enforcement officers, sheriffs deputies, trying to protect people's lives. That's why they were there doing this work: they're trying to save people from this disease,” de Blasio said.

Presti still faces charges for repeatedly refusing to comply with state-mandated COVID-19 safety protocols.

Those charges include the unlicensed sale of alcohol and running an unlicensed bottle club.

In a statement, NYC Sheriff Fucito said, in part, “We stand by the investigation and actions of the deputy sheriffs concerning Mac’s Pub ... Mr. Presti is not the victim here, the injured deputy sheriff is."

In a statement, the city's first deputy press secretary, Will Burns, said, "Daniel Presti's own actions have shown he doesn't care about New Yorkers' health or safety. He repeatedly ignored the law, flouted public health rules during a global pandemic when Staten Island had the highest test positivity and death rates in the city, and was caught on camera driving his car into a Sheriff's Deputy — and he should be held accountable for these decisions. Let's be clear: this isn't about politics, it's about saving lives, and since Mac's Public House is an obvious public health threat, its liquor license remains suspended."