Alecia Kitts is an Ohio mother who drove to Logan, Ohio, to watch her son’s seventh-grade football game. But she didn't have much of a chance to enjoy it because early in the game an officer from the Logan Police Department noticed that she wasn't wearing a mask and approached her. When she refused to wear one, the two got into a physical altercation. The officer repeatedly grabbed her arms, before he tased and arrested her, all in front of the young children sitting near her.
A woman in the stands recorded the incident and would later explain that Kitts was not wearing a mask because she has asthma. She also suggested that Kitts was not warned about the consequences. See the disturbing video below. You can hear Kitts yelling, "Don't touch me!" at the officer, as well as several expletives.
*Warning: graphic language*
"This is not a warning," said Tiffany Kennedy, the woman behind the camera.“There is no reason to tase someone and arrest them for not wearing a mask,” she said.
Kennedy observed that the arresting officer was not always properly wearing his mask himself, and a second officer who came to his assistance did not have her mask on either.
As you can see in the video, everyone in the stands appears to be properly socially distanced. Did things really have to escalate to such a violent degree? By the way, the commenters on this YouTube video were appalled that the spectators did nothing to help Kitts.
"Everyone in the stands should have taken off their masks in protest," one person wrote.
School officials pushed back and said that Kitts was warned plenty about their policy ahead of the game.
“This rule has been in effect since we were told we could play,” Logan athletic director Theresa Schultheiss said to the Marietta Times. “Everyone that came through ticketing tonight was reminded, we had regular announcements over the PA reminding you that mouths and noses needed to be covered and we had signs at the bathrooms.”
Gov. Mike DeWine has mandated that masks are required for all indoor and outdoor sports events.