Bakersfield gym owner forced to close door by Bakersfield Police and Kern County Public Health

Bakersfield gym owner forced to close door by Bakersfield Police and Kern County Public Health

Bakersfield gym owner forced to close door by Bakersfield Police and Kern County Public Health

REASONS - HE SAID HE WANTEDTO PROVIDE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLECAN FURTHER THEIRHEALTH.

HE ALSO TOLD ME HEWANTED TO SEE JUST HOW FAR HECAN PUSH HIS LUCK - ON FRIDAY -HIS LUCK RAN OUT WHEN POLICESHOWED UP AT THE GYM.

THIS JUSTTWO DAYS AFTER OUR STORYAIRED OF THE GYM KEEPING IT'SDOORS OPEN.

- BUT NOW THAT'S AVERY DIFFERENT REALITY."THIS MISDEMEANOR TICKET THATWASISSUED TO ME, I CAN LIVE IT WITHIT, I CAN DEAL WITH IT.

I'M NOTGLOATING, I'M NOTBEING ARROGANT ABOUT IT."MARK PACHECO, THE OWNER OF THESTRENTH AND HEALTH GYM ON21ST STREET, WAS ISSUED ACITATION BY BAKERSFIELD POLICEFORMISDEMEANOR HEALTH AND SAFETYVIOLATIONS,ACCORDING TO BPD.PACHECO SAYS HIS GYM WAS STILLOPERATING WHILE ALL THEOTHER GYMS IN BAKERSFIELD CLOSEDDOWN AMID GOVERNORGAVIN NEWSOM'S EXECUTIVE ORDER."THE THREAT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT,'ARREST AND INCARCERATION' -FUNDAMENTALLY, I WAS FORCED TOCLOSE DOWN.

IT CAME TO THE POINTWHERE THEY WOULDN'T LEAVE UNTILEVERYBODYVACATED THE BUILDING - AND SO ITKIND OF LEFT ME WITHOUT ACHOICE.BAKERSFIELD POLICE CONFIRM THATTHEY ISSUED THE CITATIONSUNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE KERNCOUNTY PUBLIC HEALTHSERVICES DEPARTMENT, AN AGENCYWHO NOW HAS MOREPOWER, UNDER THEIR DECLARATIONOF A LOCAL HEALTHEMERGENCY."A FOLLOW UP FACILITIES ENDED UPIN ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT CITATIONBY THE BAKERSFIELD POLICEDEPARTMENT UNDER THE HEALTHOFFICER ORDER.""ONE OF MY MEMBERS INFORMED METHATTHE POLICE WERE OUTSIDE SO IKIND OF HAD A PANIC ATTACK ANDWENT TOWARDSTHE BACK AND AS I DID THEY WERERIGHT THERE TO GREET ME.

THEYCAME THROUGHTHE BACKDOOR ASKING ME TO UNLOCKTHE FRONT DOOR - SO WHEN I DID,I LOOKEDOUTSIDE AND THERE WAS A PUBLICHEALTH OFFICIAL OUTSIDE AND SHEWAS WRITING UPSOME SORT OF DOCUMENTATION."PACHECO PROVIDED THAT HEALTHINSPECTION TO23ABC NEWS WHICH STATED THATMORE THAN 10 PEOPLE WEREINSIDE THE FACILITY FRIDAY, THEFRONT DOOR TO THE GYM WASLOCKED - AND THAT CUSTOMERS WEREENTERING THE GYMTHROUGH THE BACK."I PUSHED THE ENVELOPE, THINKINGTHAT THERE ARE A LOT OF RUMORS..WEWEREN'T SURE HOW FAR THEY WEREREALLY GOING TO GO, WHETHER THEYWEREREALLY GOING TO ENFORCE IT SO ITHOUGHT 'WELL I'LL JUST SEE WHATHAPPENS' AND I HAD A HUNCH, BUTYOU KNOW I MADE A COMMITMENT TOEVERYONE HERE AND SAID 'I WILLNOT CLOSE UNLESS IT GOT TO THATPOINT,' ANDTHAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED."KERN COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH SAYSTHAT LAW ENFORCEMENTHAS ASSISTED THEM WITH 27BUSINESSES SO FAR - AGAIN - THISIS THE ONLY BUSINESS THAT WASCITED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT,ACCORDING TO HEALTH OFFICIALS.AS FOR THE GYM - THE OWNER TELLSME SINCE RECEIVING HISCITATION AND CLOSING HIS DOORSON FRIDAY - BPD HAS COMEAROUND SEVERAL TIMES ENSURINGTHAT HIS DOORS ARE CLOSED.FOR NOW LIVE IN DOWNTOWN - BAYANWANG -23 ABC CONNECTINGYOU.KERN COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTHANNOUNCING NEW CASES OF COVID-