CNN
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The owner of a hair salon in Massachusetts said police officers entered her business without permission and used the restroom during a campaign rally for Vice President Kamala Harris last month, CNN affiliate Spectrum News 1 Worcester reported.
“Hurt, disrespected” and “completely overwhelmed” – that’s how owner Alicia Powers felt about the incident in an interview with Spectrum News 1 Worcester.
It is not clear which law enforcement agency might be responsible for the incident. The Secret Service regularly works with local and state law enforcement to secure events attended by people the agency is tasked with protecting.
Powers told the affiliate that a U.S. Secret Service representative contacted him and apologized, but the agency did not confirm that one of its agents was responsible for the incident.
“The U.S. Secret Service works closely with our partners in the business community to conduct our protection and investigative missions. The Secret Service has since been in contact with the business owner involved. We greatly value these relationships and our personnel would not enter a business or direct our partners to enter such a business without the owner’s permission,” U.S. Secret Service spokeswoman Melissa McKenzie said in a statement to CNN on Sunday.
Harris’ event took place on July 27 at the Colonial Theater in Pittsfield. The venue is next door to Powers’ salon.
CNN has asked Powers for comment.
In a video obtained by Spectrum News 1 Worcester, a person can be seen taping something to the lens of a camera located on the saloon’s porch.
CNN has reached out to the Berkshire County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office for comment.
“I have no more information than what has already been reported by other news outlets,” Pittsfield Police Captain Matthew Hill said in a statement to CNN on Monday.
“As reported, the Pittsfield Police Department was not involved in the incident. Upon learning of this incident, PPD Chief Dawley immediately contacted the agencies involved and notified them,” he added. “Chief Dawley personally contacted the owner last week and she had nothing but positive compliments to say about the PPD, our handling of the case, our quick responses and follow-ups.”
“The only footage we have seen are the same two videos circulating on social media.”
CNN’s Stephen Watts and Aileen Graef contributed to this report.
