A Colorado father was handcuffed in front of his 6-year-old daughter when police decided he had violated social distancing rules, ABC News reports.
Matt Mooney, his wife, and daughter were playing softball at a park near their home in Brighton on Sunday. “We're just having a good time, not near anybody else. The next closest person is at least 15 feet away from me and my daughter at this point,” he told the outlet.
When police arrived, they said Mooney and others had to vacate the park because it was closed. The father explained to the officers that he was familiar with social distancing guidelines and he believed his family was abiding by them. The police then became increasingly agitated when Mooney declined to show his identification.
“Well, they didn't like that idea,” he said. “They then proceeded to make a threat against me saying, ‘If you don't give us your identification, if you don't identify yourself, we're going to put you in handcuffs in front of your 6-year-old daughter.’”
Mooney—who is a former state patrol trooper—said he was handcuffed and made to sit in a patrol car for around 10 to 15 minutes while the officers spoke to a supervisor. The incident was filmed by a former city councilman member.
The Brighton police have since addressed the incident, saying they are “deeply sorry” and that an investigation is underway.
“While the investigation sorts through the different versions of what took place by witnesses who were at the park, it is evident there was an overreach by our police officers,” the statement said. “It is imperative that we improve communication with our front line first responders so they are up to date on the latest rules in place regarding COVID-19 for addressing public safety.”
Mooney said the officers let him go without giving him a citation. He also said that while he saw a face mask on an officer’s belt, none of them were wearing protective gear.
Police across the U.S. have been receiving a number of complaints about people disregarding coronavirus safety guidelines. TMZ reports that from March 17 to April 8, the NYPD arrested 13 people and issued 61 tickets.
As of last weekend, there haven’t been any arrests or tickets issued in Los Angeles County, though there are 37 cases pending for people who broke social distancing rules.
In Chicago last week, police had to make three arrests and issue 11 citations. There were also more than 1,500 instances where CPD had to break up big groups of people. Since Spring Break, Miami has settled down with no recent arrests for social distancing, as has New Orleans, which has become a hot spot for COVID-19. Since March 20, NOPD says the number of citations they’ve issued has been “minimal.”
