LIFE, LIBERTY, LOSS

Washington County Sheriff Slams Gov’s Stay-at-Home Order as Unconstitutional

Sheriff Adam Fortney of Snohomish County, which was the first place to report a positive coronavirus case in the U.S., said he won’t enforce the order.

The sheriff of Snohomish County, which was the first to report a positive coronavirus case in the United States, said late Tuesday that he will not enforce Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-at-home order. “I believe that preventing business owners to operate their businesses and provide for their families intrudes on our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Sheriff Adam Fortney wrote in a Facebook post. “As your elected Sheriff I will always put your constitutional rights above politics or popular opinion.” Fortney said he is taking a stand because he believes the order violates citizens’ constitutional rights. “The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office will not be enforcing an order preventing religious freedoms or constitutional rights,” he continued. As of Wednesday, Snohomish County reported at least 2,152 cases of the coronavirus and 99 deaths, according to the state’s department of health.