Runner attacked on track after arguing with a man over wearing a mask, WA police say

A woman was attacked in Washington after she got into an argument with a man who wasn’t wearing a mask while exercising at a track in Vancouver, according to police.

The woman was working out at a running track between Clark College and Hudson’s Bay High School on Wednesday when she got into an argument with a man who was not wearing a mask or adhering to social distancing guidelines, a news release from the Vancouver Police Department said.

Washington put a statewide mask mandate in place in June, directing everyone to wear a face covering in public when you can’t maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others, according to the Washington State Coronavirus Response website. Violating the rule can result in misdemeanor charges, according to the order.

After the argument, the woman walked to her car in the parking lot and the suspect followed her, the release said. Investigators say he then assaulted her by hitting her several times and kicking her in the head and torso while she was on the ground, according to Vancouver police.

The suspect and a woman seen with him fled the area in a black SUV, police said. The victim was taken to a hospital but has since been released as of Thursday, according to the release.

Investigators are trying to identify the suspect and the woman he was with and ask the public for any tips about the case, police said.

Washington has a total of 45,030 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 1,486 deaths since the pandemic began, according to The New York Times. Clark County has reported 1,344 cases and 33 deaths as of Thursday, the newspaper reported.

This story was originally published July 16, 2020 at 1:57 PM with the headline "Runner attacked on track after arguing with a man over wearing a mask, WA police say."