West Texas Ector County Sheriff Mike Griffis said during a news conference Tuesday that his officers were alerted that the owner of Big Daddy Zane’s in West Odessa, Texas, opened her bar even though Gov. Greg Abbott’s reopening plan explicitly mandated that bars remain closed. When officers arrived, they saw six men in body armor and armed rifles standing outside the establishment, according to Griffis.
“This was not a protest of their second amendment rights. It was a show of force to ensure this lady could violate the governor’s order,” Griffis told reporters.
Griffis said he didn’t have more details about the armed men, but said they were not from the town and they were there to intimidate people. He acknowledged the hardships that people are facing because of the coronavirus restrictions, but said there are more civilized ways to express their frustration with the governor’s order.
