Three drunk men at a Port Moody eatery have been slapped with hundreds of dollars in fines after they flouted COVID-19 health and safety guidelines.
The incident occurred Saturday, Sept. 19, at about 8 p.m., when the Port Moody Police Department got a call from staff at the unnamed restaurant complaining of several “erratic and belligerent” patrons.
“The deplorable behaviour of the patrons included: refusing to abide to COVID restrictions by refusing to sit down, yelling at staff, playing with a pocket knife, entering the restricted staff-only area, vomiting on their table, and even spitting on the table when asked to leave the establishment,” wrote a spokesperson for the Port Moody Police Department in a press release, adding that the investigation determined that the three involved males were “noticeably under the influence of alcohol.”
One officer called to the scene issued nearly $700 in fines under the COVID Related Measures Act. Port Moody police say its first priority is to educate the public about social distancing and other COVID-19-related health and safety measures.
But, noted the police statement, “in this unfortunate instance, the irresponsible actions of the patrons most certainly necessitated the issuing of fines.”
As a municipal police force, the Port Moody Police Department is responsible for enforcing provincial and federal COVID-19-related health and safety measures, including any alleged breaches of of the Quarantine Act.
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