'I’m not going to be the mask police': Ohio sheriff defies governor's order to enforce social distancing

A Ohio sheriff said Wednesday that he refuses to be the "mask police" and will not enforce new social distancing rules ordered by his state's governor to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Butler County Police Sheriff Richard K. Jones appeared on CNN to explain his defiance of the order by Gov. Mike DeWine, who is a Republican.

"I'm not going to be the mask police," Jones told anchor Brianna Keilar.

"I'm telling people don't call 911. All the police have been decimated as far as being laid off, having budgets cut," he added, "and I am not going to enforce the mask wearing."

Jones said that he wears a mask and washes his hands, but that he did not like the government making the social distancing into a mandate.

"I believe you and the media are confused!" Jones said to Keilar when she pressed him about the coronavirus case statistics.

DeWine's mask order

"In addition to social distancing and reducing unnecessary interactions with others, we know that wearing a mask helps protect others in the community. It has been, and remains, a very strong recommendation that I urge all Ohioans to continue doing even if you are not in a red-alert county," DeWine said about the order.

There has been a passionate movement against the mask and social distancing orders in the United States, despite the fact that most polls show a majority of Americans approve of the lockdown guidelines.

Here's the interview with Sheriff Jones:

Sheriff says he won't enforce Ohio governor's mask mandatewww.youtube.com