SAN DIEGO (KRON) – A man who wore what appeared to be a makeshift Ku Klux Klan hood while grocery shopping earlier this month will not face charges, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has announced Monday.
The man, who was not identified by authorities, was photographed by shoppers at a Vons in Santee on May 2. That image was then shared by San Diego’s Anti-Defamation League regional director Tammy Gillies.
In a statement, Vons responded saying employees asked the man to remove the hood and he refused to do so until he reached the checkout line. The company called it a “disturbing incident” and said it was working with employees on how to handle any related future incidents.
According to local authorities, the man told investigators he had “expressed frustration with the coronavirus and having people tell him what he can and cannot do” and that it was not intended to be a racial statement.
The man was referring to San Diego’s mandate requiring face coverings in public.
“It was a mask and it was stupid,” he told investigators.
Officials ultimately determined there wasn’t enough evidence to charge the man.
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