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A veteran San Jose, Calif., Police officer leaves the force due to the city’s vaccine needs, just one of many first responders to suffer the same fate.
“First of all, it’s my religious belief. I also believe I was given the choice of what to do with my body, ”said Sgt. David Gutierrez, who is leaving the San Jose Police Department, said.
According to NBC Bay Area, Gutierrez “spent 23 years with the San Jose Police Department before retiring in 2019 and returning as a reserve officer.”
“He said he could have stayed if he could have continued to test for the virus every week,” the outlet reported:
This photo of San Jose Reserve Officer Dave Gutierrez was taken on his last day on the job. Gutierrez is not vaccinated. pic.twitter.com/vqvo7LkDhb
– Marianne Favro (@mariannefavro) September 21, 2021
Gutierrez sent a letter to the city manager on Monday expressing concerns about the city’s vaccination mandate requiring employees to show proof of vaccination or obtain a medical exemption. Employees who are unable to show either would face disciplinary action, including termination.
“Disciplinary action is when you’ve done something wrong,” Gutierrez said. “I didn’t do anything wrong – by choosing not to be vaccinated, why would you be disciplined? “
City immunization policy requires city employees to be fully immunized by September 30.
“Vaccination remains the best and most effective tool to prevent COVID-19 and its harmful effects; the evidence shows that even against the delta variant, fully vaccinated people enjoy substantial protection against serious illness, hospitalization and death, ”the city said in a statement last month.
“I am not anti-vaccine. I don’t tell people, ‘You shouldn’t understand.’ But when it comes to my body, it’s my choice on what I want to put in my body, ”said Gutierrez.
Ciaran Ford-Hemann, 12, watches a nurse prepare to receive a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a drive-thru vaccination clinic on May 13, 2021 in San Jose, California. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
According to the police association, there are dozens of police in the city, “around 150”, who are not vaccinated or have not disclosed their status.
“Losing even a fraction of them would be a big blow to a chronically understaffed department,” KPIX said.
“If they fire police officers who have been here for five years, 10 years, 15 years, you can hire someone else, but you’re not going to hire that experience,” Gutierrez warned.
He is just one of many first responders facing the same problem. Orange County Firefighter Maria Bernard spoke at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) ‘s press conference last week and expressed concern about the vaccination mandates imposed on first responders.
“No one should be forced to choose between their beliefs and bodily autonomy or their job and risk losing everything they have worked for in their life to have no way to survive,” she said.
To concern:
Governor Ron DeSantis / Facebook
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