The owners of a Camden County gym which reopened on Monday in violation of Gov. Phil Murphy’s stay-at-home executive order have been issued a second violation by police when they reopened the gym again on Tuesday.
Bellmawr police arrived at Atilis Gym in Bellmawr Tuesday morning and issued owners Ian Smith and Frank Trumbetti the citation. The officers also stopped three gym members as they left the gym.
A fourth gym member was arrested after he refused to give his name to the officers. He was taken away in handcuffs while a crowd jeered at the officers. The man was given two citations: violating the governor’s executive order and obstruction.
The owners say that they have warned their members that arrests or fines are possible if they choose to patron the gym. But they also say that the gym’s legal team will be representing any staff or gym members who receive citations from the police.
“When people say, ‘United we stand,’ this is a perfect example of it and I’m proud of our community sticking up for. It’s not just Ian and I. It’s every person that’s going in there and he’s actually fighting for the rights also,” Trumbetti says.
Business owners across the state have been defying the stay-at-home orders, claiming that they are unconstitutional. Murphy says that the orders were put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 and to protect New Jerseyans from contracting the virus.
But the business owners say that they are able to put protocols in place to protect their patrons and that they should be allowed to reopen so that they can stay in business.
Murphy has been making announcements allowing some businesses to reopen, with restrictions. But he ways that gyms are not next on the list.
“We’re not there yet on gyms. Let’s be unequivocal on that. If we were, then we’d be telling you. It’s indoors. It’s a lot of physical activity in close proximity” Murphy said at Tuesday’s daily press briefing.
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GoFundMe set up for the Atilis owners to pay for the fines has raised over $23,000.
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