Five people were cited and two were arrested at an outdoor church service in – and I kid you not, here – Moscow, Idaho for attending the gathering and singing while not wearing face masks.
According to the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Gabriel Rench, a Republican who’s running for Latah County commissioner, was one of the two arrested for resisting an officer after police showed up at a psalm singing event hosted by Christ Church outside Moscow City Hall this week. In a social media post, Rench said the officers asked for his ID so they could write him a ticket for attending the gathering without a mask, per a local ordinance. The order mandates that anyone attending a gathering – whether indoors or outside – must wear a mask if they can’t maintain six feet of social distancing. Violating the order is a misdemeanor that carries a maximum punishment of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
"The cop came to talk to me and said, 'give me your license I'm going to write you a ticket,’” Rench wrote. "I said, 'you don't need to do this, you don't need to write me a ticket.'”
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After Rench refused, the cops handcuffed him and led him away – an incident caught on cell phone video.
They are arresting people who attend church now.
— Mike Coudrey (@MichaelCoudrey) September 24, 2020
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More than 150 people reportedly attended the event, with most not wearing masks or social distancing. According to the report, Rench was arrested but not charged.