Hello,
I just wanted to chime in my dos centavos. It appears that Alecia Kitts was watching her son’s middle school football game. She appears to be seated with an older woman to her right with a black shirt (I believe it is mentioned she is her mother). There is a child to the right of mother wearing a grey Puma shirt. On Alecia Kitts’s left is my guess, a teenage young man with a black shirt. Next to this young man is another child with a green shirt.
It appears to me that the 2 children are not wearing masks or at least not at all times. This may not be a problem in Ohio as I believe the mask mandate applies to children 10 and above; not a great estimator of children’s ages. Mother is definitely not wearing a mask “correctly”. Much of my information comes from
https://www.wtap.com/2020/09/24/woman-r ... ogan-ohio/
It would appear that Ms. Kitts may have worn her mask to enter but took it off while in the bleachers. According to the above article, the resource officer was given the task to “make sure everyone is following CDC, Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Athletic Association and Logan Hocking School District guidelines”.
I would agree that Ms. Kitts was not wearing the mask in accordance with Ohio Mask Mandate and probably according to the school policy (I will speak about masks lower below as to not interject too much into this lengthy reading). I believe the resource officer has the right to insist she wear a mask or vacate the premises; I am open to the discussion as to whether this is a legitimate request and also how the resource office would go about getting the call/request to enforce the mask mandate.
Once Ms. Kitts refused to mask up or leave she would be in violation of trespass. At this point the resource officer attempted to arrest her for trespass whereupon she resisted arrest. This is where the tasing incident came in. I will admit, bad optics, for everyone involved. If Ms. Kitts was actually trying to make a statement about masks I could understand. In my opinion, she just wanted to be left alone and argue the mandate and probably thought she could get away.
I think everything would have been easier if she just put on her mask. Some confounders were the fact that Ms. Kitts claimed she could not wear a mask due to asthma. According what I have read from the Ohio mask mandate not wearing masks due to medical conditions is a legal exemption. Again, in my reading (not citing at this point), the school district requires advance notice of medical conditions.
The article above states, “The woman has been charged with criminal trespassing and released. Police say additional charges are pending against her and another woman involved”. It sounds like she was put in a police cruiser and released quickly. My guess the other woman being charged is her mother, for interfering with police duties?
I would have probably been wearing a mask or would have put one on. If not, I would have left the premises of my own accord. I generally do what LEO say even if I think it is wrong. Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio Lt. Governor made statements and it sounded like a lot of local unrest on both sides of the issue;
https://www.mariettatimes.com/news/2020 ... ball-game/
I have a few questions in the whole event:
1. The 2 children do not appear to have masks on at all times. I believe one is 5 years old and unsure about the other; no masks for children under 10 per Ohio Mask Mandate I believe. Were the children asked their ages and why not wearing masks?
2. It appears mother was helping her daughter Ms. Kitts and may be facing charges. Will she be facing charges for not wearing mask properly; in her case below the nose?
3. At one point, multiple videos, a young woman on a purple chair pulls down her mask to talk. Did they go back and talk to her about this?
4. Why doesn’t Logan PD give their officers KN95/N95 masks? His masks fell off (below his nose) in the confrontation. I also saw the picture of Officer Smith getting a mask donation on April 8, 2020 on the Logan PD Facebook page and standing to close to the young girl and without masks. This was before CDC recommendation I believe and probably not great with social distancing.
Again, I would have worn or put on my mask or have voluntarily left the premises. I completely understand the officer’s need to enforce laws; although bad optics at this point. It is amazing in our great country that small, dumb little incidents cause individuals to go crazy; in this case mask wearing. I also believe the resource officers time could have been spent on better and more productive things.
I would like to see what happens with this as an educational exercise. My guess is it will be pled down even more or possibly dropped. I did not include my views on masking (below).
Masking for Coronavirus
I like the majority on this website live in Texas. I have been to New Mexico but am under the same Texas Mask Mandates as everyone else. I believe that most entities want you to wear face coverings. Unfortunately, these cover the gamut from high grade N-95 down to neck gaiters. I actually walked into a restaurant with a plain cloth face mask for the first time in about 5 months. Before that I would exclusively wear a N-95. I did not have one in the car I was in so a plain cloth face mask.
I believe 99% that a good quality, non-defective N95 is your best protection for Coronavirus, TB, and other respiratory illnesses. I believe other face coverings to be about nearly more effective as an N95 down to more ineffective than no mask at all. I spend a large amount of time in a N95 and try first to stay about 6 feet or more from strangers. I just received a shipment of 20 3M N95 masks yesterday.
I also spend an amount of time at my house of worship around a majority of individuals who decline to mask. We do have one area where masks are required; actual room and bathrooms. It has been my experience that the majority of individuals wears plain face masks and keeps them on. There is a minority that wears the masks incorrectly.
I am still torn between mask mandates and how they should be implemented; e.g. if so important; why not have the Texas legislature pass some laws. Regardless, I believe N95 and other masks do work. I am iffy on KN95s and other face coverings. I pretty much respect the right of individuals to not wear a mask around me as long as they stay out of my 6 foot range; in which case I am probably moving. I also agree that individual businesses have the right to require masks. I definitely do not believe LEOs should be prioritizing mask wearing.
Just my 2 Centavos
