On Thursday, in Tucson, Arizona, an anti-masker attempted to zip tie the principal of a school after she asked a student to quarantine because of close contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19.
The entire incident was live-streamed by Kelly Walker, who owns Viva Coffee shop in Tucson. Walker, who streamed the incident on his business's Instagram account, is not the parent of the child who was asked to quarantine, and his kids don't even attend the school.
Walker was contacted by the father of one of the children being asked to quarantine at Mesquite Elementary School. The school has since said that they asked the child to quarantine, following the advice of the Pima County Health Department.
The father was going to the school to "raise hell," saying that people should be "prepared for me to go to jail," he said in his message.
The video captured Walker driving to the elementary school while he called on others to join him at the school to protest the decision.
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Walker then arrived at the school with the child's father and an unidentified third man walking around the perimeter of the building. The third man was holding zip ties.
While walking around the building, Walker can be heard saying that the three men planned to confront the administrators and inform them that they were breaking the law. He goes on to say that they planned on calling the sheriff to have them arrested, and if necessary, they would perform a "citizen's arrest."
"We're just coming in to talk first, but our public officials need to know that we mean business," Walker said after showing the camera his "law enforcement" zip ties.
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The Vail Unified School District superintendent, John Carruth, spoke with KOLD News 13, breaking down what happened when the men entered the building.
"One of the other individuals, not the parent, brought flex cuffs with them to the front office when they entered the office, and their demand was that quarantine was illegal and that if the child was not allowed to resume normal school that they would make a citizen's arrest," Carruth said.
The coffee shop owner did get a chance to talk to the school's principal, Diane Vargo, who could be seen in the video listening to what Walker had to say, even that he was a scientist.
"I am a scientist who wrote about COVID for doctors and dentists all over the country," he said to Vargo. Vice reported that there is no evidence that Walker is a scientist; however, he has made the claim several times on his Facebook.
Walker also accused Vargo of “bullying children and families,” while she sat listening to him speak.
Vargo continued to listen to the trio, and when she had heard enough, the video shows her asking them to leave the school grounds. They refused, and she left the office.
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Eventually, the three men left the school before officers from the Tucson Police Department arrived at the premises.
Vargo spoke with KOLD news, sharing threats and messages she had received for following COVID-19 protocols within her school.
Currently, the school district has not decided whether or not to press charges against the group.
