The Santa Rosa Police Department has launched an investigation into an allegation that an officer was using the patrol car loudspeaker outside of a shopping complex on Monday to shame people for wearing masks, The Press Democrat reports.
The claim was made in a since-deleted TikTok video where a person, who said their name was Shan, uploaded their account of the alleged incident.
“If you’re the cop with the SRPD who was over by Menchie’s Frozen Yoghurt using your loudspeaker to tell people to take off their masks because they were acting like slaves, I spoke with your office and they would like to speak with you. So I would head back if I were you,” Shan said.
Shan said she was waiting in line to order at Sonoma Valley Bagel when someone could be heard over the speaker, saying, “Take off your masks, don’t be slaves. Don’t be slaves, take off your masks.” Shan claims people in nearby shops, herself included, opened the doors to see where the voice was coming from.
As she stated in her TikTok video, Shan immediately contacted the Santa Rosa Police Department and wound up speaking with the department’s Professional Standards Sgt. Dan Hackett the following day over the phone. “We take complaints by the community very seriously. That’s what we’re doing with this complaint,” Hackett said. “If it was found to be true, the officer responsible would have to be held accountable.”
The Press Democrat asked Sonoma Valley Bagel employees who worked on the day in question if they remember hearing someone talking over a speaker outside, but they couldn’t recall such an occurrence.
“It is not up to the police or even the government to tell people to take off their masks,” Shan said. “Yes, it is now an option for those who are vaccinated, but it is not required. Citizens should not be harassed by authorities for wanting to protect themselves from potential danger.”
