Woman caught on video macing couple for not wearing masks in park

‘What are you doing? You cannot be serious,’ shouted passer-by who filmed incident

A woman reportedly maced a couple having a picnic in a California park because they were not wearing face masks.

Ash O’Brien and her husband Jarrett Kelley were eating a picnic at the Dusty Rhodes Dog Park near San Diego, when they were confronted by a woman wearing a black face mask.

Under governor Gavin Newsom’s order, all California residents must wear a face mask when they leave their home and are unable to stand six feet away from others, to help prevent further spread of Covid-19.

California has been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic in the last month, and the state has recorded more than 459,000 cases, as at least 8,451 people have died after contracting the virus.

The woman told the couple that they needed to be wearing a mask and should be social distancing, but Ms O’Brien told ABC. “we were social distancing — there was no one near us.”

She added: “We were not wearing masks because we were eating. You can’t wear a mask and eat at the same time.”

Ms O’Brien said that the woman left after the initial confrontation, but came back a few minutes later and maced Mr Kelley.

“She just came up without saying anything and just stuck the Mace can right in front of my face,” Ms O’Brien said.

“My husband, being a good guy, walked in front of her and was like, ‘Hey, calm down please don’t do this’ — and then she grabbed him and just starting macing him. She used the entire can on him,” she added.

Ms O’Brien said that her husband suffered injuries in the incident and added: “we drove to the hospital. He got treated and everything.”

The incident was filmed by a woman who was passing the area, and she shouted: “What’s wrong with you, lady?!”

As Ms O’Brien could be heard crying in the background, the woman filming the incident added: “What are you doing? You cannot be serious! You just Maced them!”

The couple filed a police report and Ms O’Brien told ABC: “I want her to go to jail — she assaulted my husband, and I’m angry about it.”