On Sept. 23, five people, including Latah County commission candidate Gabriel Rench, were cited by the Moscow Police Department (MPD) for suspicion of violating Moscow’s face covering and social distancing requirement, according to the Moscow Pullman-Daily News.
The citations took place at a 150-200 person gathering in the Moscow City Hall parking lot, where Christ Church was hosting a psalm singing event. Before the event, MPD reported “90-95% compliance” with the requirements and no situation had required a citation, a City of Moscow Facebook post stated today.
“The group organizers of the event that occurred on Sep. 23 advertised on social media accounts that they were going to have a gathering on that date and specifically requested that participants not wear masks,” the post stated. “The message being communicated was to show a disregard for the Emergency Order. Our police requested compliance, and after a clear showing of non-compliance, our police officers were faced with a situation where they felt an obligation to enforce the lawful Order.”
Police officers, City of Moscow staff, City Council and Moscow Mayor Bill Lambert have received calls and emails sharing disappointment, misinterpretations of the situation and threats, the post stated.
“These threats from various groups indicate they are going to come to our city to protest in a manner that may escalate to violence,” the post stated. “These groups are from other parts of the country and are threatening to bring in a large number of protesters to our community, which would serve to increase the risk of COVID-19 infection in our area.”
Police responses may range from no intervention to additional citations depending on the situation. Officers will make decisions on a case-by-case basis.
Christ Church will be hosting another Psalm Sing at 5 p.m. today outside Moscow City Hall. The Argonaut will continue to provide coverage as more details become available.
Lex Miller can be reached at [email protected]