Anti-masker says he’s pro-police. Fresno chief says he’s wasting officers’ time

Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama said Tuesday that many of an anti-mask protest group’s actions have only taken up the time of police officers who should be on patrol and responding to calls for help in town.

Protest organizer Ben Martin met late Monday afternoon with Balderrama following the most recent protest where Martin’s group — the Coalition for Individual Liberties — was confronted Saturday by mask-wearing shoppers at Sprouts Farmers Market and Fresno police were called in to control the situation.

“I’m asking him to be very pro-police and allow us to focus on violent crime,” Balderrama said in a news conference Tuesday.

The incident led Mayor Jerry Dyer to announce guidelines that allow protesters who block doorways or impede shoppers from entering Fresno businesses to receive citations.

During his news conference, Balderrama said anyone entering a store without a mask can be asked to leave by employees. Refusing to leave could then lead to a trespassing citation and then to an arrest.

“They’re not being cited for not wearing a mask; they’re being cited for refusing to leave,” Balderrama said.

DA’s office will prosecute, chief says

The citation is a misdemeanor, and Balderrama said he has spoken to Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp and she has agreed to prosecute those charges. Smittcamp has previously refused to prosecute restaurants whose managers broke COVID-19 mandates.

Balderrama said Martin was arrested on Saturday though he was not transported to Fresno County Jail. Any time an officer stops a person and does not allow them to go freely, that person is technically under arrest, according to police.

Martin was then “unarrested” and released, according to Sgt. Jeff La Blue. That designation keeps the initial arrest from being part of a person’s criminal record.

In a video posted to his Facebook page Monday, Martin said he was briefly placed under citizen’s arrest, but he was never arrested by the police department and that people have been trying to vilify his group, following comments Dyer made during Monday’s news conference.

“I’ve been verbally eviscerated online,” Martin said.

Police trying to accommodate

Fresno police are “bending over backwards” to try to allow for the right to protest by agitators and the right for shoppers and stores to do business, according to Balderrama, who said he’d rather be focusing on violent crime in town.

About half of the officers working in the northwest district were called in to handle the Sprouts matter, he said.

“All things considered, I think we’re bending over backwards to try to accommodate everybody. We really are,” he said. “This shouldn’t have to be a police matter.”

In his video, Martin praised Balderrama, calling him a consummate professional with an outstanding department and officers.

“The conversation was amazing,” Martin said in the almost 24-minute live-stream.

“We are incredibly blessed. Our new police chief is quite honestly one of the most humble, amazing human being I’ve had the opportunity to council with.”

In the video, Martin said Balderrama made it clear that he could face trespassing charges if he continues with his demonstrations, though Martin believes he’s protected under federal law.

“We ended up making some real headway, him and I,” Martin said. “We’re excited to partner with the police department. We’re excited to make sure we keep them abreast of what we’re doing and make sure that they know the truth.”