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covid-19 threats

Alberta RCMP report threats to officers of being infected with COVID-19

Apr 7, 2020 | 4:18 PM

Alberta RCMP officers are reporting threats of being coughed on by individuals claiming to be COVID-19 positive.

“The threat to transmit the COVID-19 virus is a threat to the wellbeing and health of our members which is a criminal offence,” said Assistant Commissioner John Ferguson, Alberta RCMP’s Officer-in-Charge of Criminal Operations in a release. “To actually carry out these threats would be an assault on a peace officer.”

As of now, only one individual has been charged after an incident in Wetaskiwin. They were charged with assault on a police officer and failure to comply with the Public Health Act.

A similar case has also been reported in Lethbridge, where a 27-year-old man was charged after he allegedly coughed directly into the face of an officer during an arrest, while claiming he had tested positive for COVID-19.