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Man Ranted About ‘Media Hype’ of Coronavirus, Then Intentionally Coughed on Products: Deputies

 

Coughing suspect

There’s a manhunt for a person who coughed on products that another person was going to buy, say authorities. The Eagle County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado is looking for this individual who was seen at a Village Market in the community of Edwards.

[Editor’s Note: The tweet references “suspects” but the press release only mentions one subject.]

According to the account from deputies, the suspect refused to follow the Village Market’s and a local Eagle County Public Health Order policy of staying six feet away from others. To be sure, there’s more organized opposition to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, but the suspect here is accused of going way over the line.

At first, he was asked to step away, but he responded by ranting that the employee was falling for “media hype,” deputies said. Then he allegedly stepped between an employee and customer and coughed on the stuff that the customer was buying, authorities said.

That kind of behavior would be gross and aggressive in the best of times, but deputies singled him out for violating the Colorado State and Eagle County Public Health Order amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Now authorities are asking the public to help find the cougher. They say he is believed to be a local resident. From the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office:

If you think you may have any information about this suspect or this incident, please call the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office at (970) 328-8500 or Eagle County Crime Stoppers at 970-328-7007, 1-800-972-TIPS. You may also submit your tip online at www.p3tips.com or send a mobile tip using the free ‘P3 Tips’ mobile app. If your tip leads to the arrest and indictment of any suspect involved, you could earn a CASH reward from the Eagle County Crime Stoppers.

[Images via Eagle County Sheriff’s Office]

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