A police officer in Vancouver, Canada, described in a Reddit post as the “world’s most composed transit police officer,” is the real MVP in an 11-minute viral video featuring yet another anti-mask “Karen.”
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The video dates back to Dec. 5, but made recent waves on a Reddit subreddit group dedicated to such video, r/PublicFreakout. As of Wednesday afternoon, it had racked up nearly 80,000 likes and more than 12,000 comments in just two days.
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The Daily Dot, reporting on the video in a Tuesday story, dug up info on the two key players in the human drama.
The anti-masker was identified by Rebel News as Valerie Ann Foley. She was riding the TransLink SkyTrain when Transit Police Officer Constable Peter Kwok asked her to wear a mask.
Rebel News noted that Foley was “arrested, charged with assaulting a police officer, fined $460 and in need of medical attention for physical injuries she alleges were acquired during her arrest.”
That publication also interviewed her sympathetically and have adopted her in its “Fight the Fines” campaign to defend people against “people feeling entitled to discriminate against people who are medically exempt from wearing face coverings.”
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As the Daily Dot noted, though, the video begins, “as most of these exhausting exchanges do, with Foley attempting to ‘educate’ Kwok on her rights.”
(It also appears to be shot from Foley’s point of view, which indicates that she took this video to document an incident she felt would reflect badly on the officer.)
The Dot goes on to report that Foley accuses Kwok of “harassing” her, even though he’s maintaining a calm demeanor. She repeats that she is “medically exempt” from following any mask requirements, repeatedly flashing a laminated card—which Kwok calls “invalid”—as proof of her exemption.
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The Dot account also notes, “Foley even accuses Kwok of making her feel unsafe, due to his proximity. From someone refusing to put a piece of cloth over their mouth, the demand that someone else maintain a six-foot distance is bold.”
Then, about four minutes into the video, Foley is raising her voice. The article adds, “At one point, she claims that she can’t wear a mask because ‘I need healthy air exchange in my mouth.’” (Which sounds medical-adjacent but not quite specifically medical.)
About halfway through the video, he states he’s placing her under arrest, and she actually says, “No, you’re not placing me under arrest!” She goes on to encourage him to interact with people who are “actually committing crimes.”
As he approaches her shortly after that admonition, she yells at him not to put his hands on her, and yells, “You’re scared of COVID, but you’ll put your hands on me, right?”
The last four minutes of the video involves Kwok physically interacting with Foley to arrest her; it’s safe to say that Foley effectively expresses her indignation and displeasure throughout the arrest.
*First Published: March 18, 2021, 10:12 am
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