A woman in Palm Springs, California called 911 after being asked to wear a mask inside the Bones-N-Scones pet store. The encounter was filmed by Aidan Bearshaw, an employee at the store, and posted to Facebook, where it has gone viral.
Said Pet Shop Karen: “As per the 1964 Civil Rights Act, I cannot be discriminated against. I do have a right to breathe O2 not CO2 and I am being discriminated against right now. I have a religious exemption right and a God-given right to breathe O2 not CO2. Yes, medical exemption too.”
After the 911 dispatcher said she was sending an officer, Karen turned to Bearpaw and sassed, “You are welcome to do your research to find out that in the end, I'm actually right.”
The New York Post reports: “The woman tells the dispatcher she's leaving, while insisting that she's in the “right” before heading back to her car. Bearpaw told Storyful that the woman called 911 on him the next day, sending police to the store. ‘She was feeling the public backlash and dispatched police on me again,' he said. ‘My bosses were initially furious. It was very possible I was going to be fired. My co-workers were all very supportive and made it clear there would be consequences if I was terminated.'”
Local news station KESQ interviewed Bearpaw who said of Karen, “I think she was kinda waiting for that to happen just cause she had the A.D.A screenshot pulled up already. It was definitely really anxiety inducing. But it worked out in the sense that, you know, I was able to keep myself safe, and whatever customers were going to come that we're going to come in safe.”
