After Mask Refusal, Marlborough Man Threatens Officer: Police

MARLBOROUGH, MA — A dispute over wearing a face covering at a Marlborough McDonald's led to a 23-year-old being charged with multiple crimes, according to police.

On Saturday at around 7 p.m., Marlborough police went to the fast-food restaurant along Maple Street for a disturbance where a customer was refusing to wear a face covering — a requirement for all residents per order of the governor.

When police asked Jerome Burton to leave the restuarant, he refused, police said. Then he threatened to assault an officer, police said.

Burton was arrested and charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct and threatening to commit a crime.

There have been countless altercations over mask wearing in Massachusetts and across the nation during the pandemic. In many cases, workers end up bearing the brunt. On Oct. 20 in Lower Merion, Penn., a man assaulted a gas station attendant — and then came back the next day and got into another fight. Similar incidents have happened recently in Oakton, Va., Silver Spring, Md., and Toms River, N.J.

In Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker's order applies to any state resident over age 2, with some exemptions for medical conditions. Failure to wear a face covering could result in a $300 fine.