An off-duty police officer from Massachusetts set a bad example for citizens everywhere when he was captured on film trashing a Chinese restaurant after refusing to wear a mask.
The incident, accompanied by security footage, was covered by local Boston news stations.
Customer turns violent after refusing to wear mask at Marshfield restaurantwww.youtube.com
Twitter was outraged but not surprised at this police officer's bad behavior.
This officer was clearly not that concerned with protecting his fellow customers.
Jimmy Tian, a co-owner owner of the restaurant, told WHDH-TV:
"He just took his police ID, showing our whole bar, our whole restaurant. Like, 'I'm a police officer, I don't need a mask.'"
Many online were calling for the officer's dismissal from his position.
Restaurant owner Lei Yan also said of the officer's intoxicated wife:
"She was pushing my husband and smashed my front desk. It put my husband's life in danger."
Wearing a mask to protect others is not a major inconvenience and is certainly not worth damaging a restaurant over.
The restaurant owners chose not to press charges and the off-duty officer was let off with a trespassing notice.
Police officers are meant to protect citizens, not put them in further danger. This should be the bare minimum standard for all law enforcement agents.
