At about 12:32 PM on Sunday, April 12, 2020, the Office of the Sheriff received an anonymous complaint of an unlawful assembly at the All Nations Church of God in Christ at 1225 York Street in North Richmond.
A Deputy responded to the location and saw approximately 40 people inside the church. None of them were wearing a face mask and they did not practice social distancing.
The Deputy first spoke to the deacon and asked to speak to the pastor who was in front of the parishioners. The pastor was uncooperative and refused to talk to the Deputy.
The Deputy left the location and wrote a report.
On April 13, 2020, a Deputy responded to the church and issued a misdemeanor citation for violation of the Health Officer order (California Health and Safety Code § 120295).
The Sheriff’s Office later filed a case with the Contra Costa DA’s Office for prosecution.
“Our focus has been on education of the Health Officer Order and in the vast majority of cases we ask for voluntary compliance and that solves the problem,” said Contra Costa Sheriff David Livingston. “This was different. The pastor refused to cooperate and put the lives of dozens of parishioners at risk.”
12 comments
The last thing that will ever happen is anyone, even a so-called Man of God, doing the right thing and cooperating with authorities, even if that would save their lives
That Church and Pastor will be rich. Cant violate our rights for a cold. The deputy that issued the citation should be fired for violating his oath and constitutional rights of the citizen he cited.
The pastor should have been seized and ARRESTED and taken away! In a time of national emergency — be it a pandemic or an attack by a foreign power —- ALL such rights are put in LIMBO .. or didn’t you know that? I think the entire congregation of 40 should have been arrested.
You should also learn a little bit about EPIDEMIOLOGY and how one deals with a deadly disease which is spreading as rapidly as this Chinese Virus is.
That Guy! I work in the ICU of one of our major hospitals and see the “colds” people are suffering through. You wouldn’t want that for your worst enemy! Ever see what that “cold” does to your lungs? Believe me, you do NOT want to. You obviously have no clue and I hope you never experience what I see people in the ICU go through. Now, get real!
Well… good for them standing up for their right to assemble peacefully…lets see how COCO D.A. will respond in June with all the gay pride celebrations.
You need to keep up with the news. The gay pride celebrations have been cancelled.
I never thought our Sheriff was that extreme he would promote that kind of enforcement. Shame.
1000 free bullets…great add
Good. People you are stupid if you defend these morons still holding “church”. They are endangering their parishioners, and these are the same people who will go to grocery stores uncovered.
Okay, let them hold “church”, but first have them sign a waiver eliminating any of their chances of getting medical treatment when they become infected. Then they can all quarantine and worship together in their “sick bay church”.
People, as long as groups of people want to congregate in large groups, the longer we are going to endure this “lock down”.
Morons … stay at home means just that, stay the fuck at home.
They are endangering many people, not only the parishioners. Many are carriers of this virus without having symptoms. Thoee 40 can come out of that “church” and infect three times as many people.
The health and safety of people supersedes any freedom or religion. There will always be uneducated fools believing in fairy tales, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.
The two idiots — deacon/pastor/preacher —- should have been arrested, hauled off to sit in jail.
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