Police arrested three people who attended a large religious gathering in Moscow, Idaho, last week for reportedly violating local public health orders.
One of the people taken into custody was Gabriel Rench, a Republican campaigning to replace Latah County Commissioner Tom Lamar, a Democrat, in November. Rench was attending an outdoor “psalm sing” event at the time.
The Moscow Police Department’s public activity log confirms the three arrests and two additional citations issued for health violations on Wednesday afternoon. Rench retweeted a video of his arrest, which shows Moscow police officers placing him in handcuffs while a crowd continues to sing hymns in the Moscow City Hall parking lot, where the event hosted by Christ Church was held.
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Rench is not wearing a face mask in the video. Neither are other “psalm sing” participants seen standing behind him, although they appear to be standing at a distance from one another.
The Moscow-Pullman Daily News reported that those who received citations were not wearing face masks or complying with social distance protocols. Citing comments from Moscow Police Chief James Fry, the newspaper’s report said Rench was arrested for allegedly declining to identify himself to officers at the event. Police did not formally charge him with refusing to provide identification. The other two people taken into custody were reportedly arrested for suspicion of resisting or obstructing an officer.
Fry reportedly told the local newspaper that Moscow police had not issued citations for lack of compliance with coronavirus mandates before Wednesday.
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Moscow Mayor Bill Lambert passed an amended public health mandate in July that requires all residents to maintain 6 feet of physical distance from others who are not members of their immediate households and wear face coverings in settings where social distancing is impossible. Children younger than 5 and people with certain health conditions are exempt from the mandate.
The order outlines enforcement protocols in place to ensure all residents observe its terms. They include verbal warnings and misdemeanor citations from local police officers. Those who receive misdemeanor citations could face up to six months in county jail and a $1,000 fine, according to information published by the city of Moscow.
During a recent meeting, Moscow’s City Council originally voted to extend the July order through the first week of October but agreed to extend its expiration until early January.
