A police officer in Canada was filmed giving a driver a ticket only after he was called out for not wearing a face mask.
The video starts with the officer, who is with the Winnipeg Police Service, seemingly handing the driver his license and registration back and is apparently going to let the driver go with a warning rather than a ticket.
When the officer peers into the vehicle to do this, the passenger tells him, “Sir, I just have a question. … Why are you not wearing your mask, and you’re yelling?”
The passenger tells the officer that him being maskless is unsafe before he cuts her off to tell her that he is “well within 6 feet” of them. “You know what? If you want to do [it] that way, I’ll just write a ticket. Is that the way you want to do this?” he questions.
She responds by telling him that she was “just asking.” He claims that he doesn’t need to wear a mask while outside. “Even if you’re close?” she questions. “I’m just asking. It’s just a question.”
He then changes his mind about letting the driver of the vehicle off with a warning. “OK. You know what, you can give me your stuff back. You’re gonna get a ticket, then,” he says.
Both of the vehicle’s occupants question why the driver is now going to get a ticket. “You were going to get a warning. I was being polite. You’re not being polite, so,” the officer says.
The passenger tells the officer that she was being polite and was just asking him a question. “Actually you’re not,” he says before asking the driver for his license and registration back.
“I’m going to ask you once more, and then I’m going to take it from you,” the officer says before the video ends.
The video was posted by user @SinkHoleWpg to Twitter, where it is going viral and garnering demands for the officer’s conduct to be addressed by Winnipeg officials.
When reached for comment, the Winnipeg Police Service pointed the Daily Dot to its statement regarding the traffic stop, which it claims took place on Dec. 8. In its Wednesday statement, WPS said it is aware of the video and that “the officer has been spoken to by his commanding officer about his conduct and the matter has been dealt with.”
The Daily Dot inquired about how exactly the matter was dealt with but did not receive a response by publication time.
“Winnipeg police officers are expected to wear face masks during interactions with members of the public unless social distancing is being practiced,” the statment adds. “Employees are expected to wear masks within indoor facilities accessible to the public or in private residences, where possible.”
The statement claims the driver was pulled over for not changing lanes when passing a stopped emergency vehicle.
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