VANCOUVER -- A 25-year-old Coquitlam, B.C. woman was arrested and could face criminal charges after allegedly coughing at a grocery store clerk who wouldn't let her buy more tissues than the in-store maximum.
Mounties say the incident happened on Monday at about 1:45 p.m. A grocery store employee called police from a shopping centre on Parkway Boulevard saying that a customer had deliberately coughed onto a clerk.
According to police, the suspect was angry that the clerk hadn't allowed her to buy more tissues than a maximum set by the store.
"This is a great example of why we need to keep perspective, take a breath, and treat essential workers like grocery store clerks with the respect they deserve," said Cpl. Michael McLaughlin with Coquitlam RCMP in a news release.
"Whether you deliberately cough on police, hospital workers, or grocery clerks, abuse or assaults against essential workers will not be tolerated."
Earlier this month, Coquitlam police said a break-and-enter suspect coughed on an officer during an arrest.
In this case, the woman was identified after police reviewed video of the incident and she was arrested at her home.
She has no significant history with police and has been released with a notice to appear in court on July 13.
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