Los Angeles police officers attended private party inside bar despite statewide shutdown
A viral video allegedly shows a private gathering for “first responders" on July 31 inside Hollywood’s Sassafras Saloon – despite bars being shut down in the state and county since early July.
On Thursday, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to USA TODAY that two of its officers attended the function, following an initial report from KCAL-TV in Los Angeles.
In a Saturday statement, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department denied any department employees attended the gathering, calling any claims otherwise “categorically false.”
We found out the LA's Sheriff's Department (@LASDHQ) was having a party tonight at @SassafrasHW in Hollywood. Several men we believe to be deputies identified themselves by name and verbally confirmed they were attending an LASD function. pic.twitter.com/OQRcPDvGlk
— KNOCK.LA (@KNOCKdotLA) August 1, 2020
A clip published by the activist media group Knock.LA on Twitter early Saturday showed multiple people responding “yes” after an individual asked, “You here for the LASD party?” In another clip, loud music could be heard blaring from the bar. In Saturday's statement, the sheriff's department denied the department held any such party.
Dozens of people were in attendance, per a count from CNN – but an exact number of attendees remains unclear. Knock.LA alleged that employees working the event were told to expect around 100 guests.
Related video: How to avoid getting sick at parties this summer
In one of the videos shared, three men identified themselves to the recorder, who apparently posed as a bouncer. A reporter from KCRW found officers in correctional facilities whose names matched the ones stated in the video.
A representative for 1933 Group, which owns Sassafras Saloon, told the Los Angeles Times in a statement that the party was held “by an individual who wanted to honor a group of first responders.” The representative did not respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY.
A statement from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health obtained by CNN said that officials are investigating the "private party."
"This is exactly the situation that puts our entire community at unnecessary risk," read the statement.
Gov. Gavin Newsom shut down county bars that didn't serve food July 13, as coronavirus cases continued spreading throughout the state. As of Aug. 6, there have been197,912 cases across Los Angeles County.
Follow Joshua Bote on Twitter: @joshua_bote.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Los Angeles police attended party at Sassafras bar in viral video
