Colorado police looking for man seen wearing KKK hood while shopping

Police in Dillon, Colo., are seeking to identify a man who allegedly wore a covering resembling a Ku Klux Klan hood inside a local food market this week. 

The man was pictured on social media wearing the hood covering his face, and he allegedly refused to leave the City Market when asked by staff. Employees called law enforcement to remove the man, Dillon spokesperson Kerstin Anderson confirmed to The Hill.

A customer in the store took video of the man. He appears to be holding a basket and a half-gallon of milk. After a few moments, he shrugs and walks away from other customers, 9News reported.

The person who took the video said that the man argued with other people in the store, including fellow customers and employees, before going outside and continuing to argue with staff, the outlet added.

One woman shared a photo of the man Thursday.

A dude in a KKK hood showed up at my local grocery store — CityMarket in Dillon, Colorado — today. pic.twitter.com/KHHFq3p7ne

— Diana Brickell (@DianaBrickell) May 14, 2020

Anderson told The Hill that officers were called on allegations of trespassing. However, the man left the store before they arrived.

The department is seeking to identify the man through surveillance footage to track down his vehicle.

Dillon Sgt. Adam Nance said in a statement to The Hill that “the individual is unlikely to face charges related to this incident due to protection of freedom of expression afforded by the First Amendment” but officials “are interested in contacting them.” 

Anderson said that the man’s actions are not reflective of the values of the Dillon community.

“Anytime a person is displaying the type of hatefulness and frustration indicated by the racially insensitive attire worn by the individual in question, our Police Department is going to want to understand more about that individual in our community,” she said.

City Market said in a statement, “We train our associates to embrace diversity and inclusion and to show respect to every customer and one another.”

“We ask our customers to respect these values as well when in our stores. Our store leaders are empowered to swiftly and respectfully address anyone who disregards these values, which includes blatant symbols of hate and intolerance,” the statement continued, according to 9News.

This is not the first time in recent weeks that a person has shopped while wearing a face covering resembling a KKK hood. Earlier this week, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said in a press release that the department did not find sufficient evidence to charge a man who wore an apparent KKK hood to a grocery store in Santee, Calif., on May 2.

Updated: 1:37 p.m.