Mr. King, who has dubbed himself the “Vaccine Police,” travels to cities across the country to protest COVID-19 vaccines, and he has garnered a large audience by posting daily Facebook live streams of his efforts.
He came to Missouri after being invited to an Aug. 14 rally protesting Springfield-based Mercy Hospital’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
On Aug. 16, Mr. King and his half-dozen followers harassed pharmacists in a Springfield Walmart, repeatedly telling them they would be “executed” for their “crimes against humanity.” Among his barrage of false rhetoric were repeated warnings that pharmacists were violating the Nuremberg Code by administering COVID-19 vaccines.
He captured the Walmart incident via a 33-minute Facebook live stream. Later that day, his Facebook shows he went to a nearby CVS and Walgreens.
The next day, Mr. King filmed himself confronting Steve Edwards, president and CEO of Springfield-based CoxHealth, in a parking structure. Mr. King served Mr. Edwards papers, which he said showed that Mr. Edwards had committed “crimes against humanity” by imposing a vaccine mandate at his health system.
On Aug. 20, the American Pharmacists Association released a statement on the incidents.
“We deplore the intimidation and verbal assaults directed toward pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and other pharmacy personnel earlier this week at a pharmacy in Springfield, Mo.,” APhA said. “The agitator’s arguments are clearly absurd, and pull attention away from critically-needed, factual information that our patients and the public deserve. All authorized COVID-19 vaccines are safe and highly effective at preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death. They are the best tools we have to control the pandemic.”
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