Audio of the 911 call #PermitPatty made on an 8-year-old Black child selling water
Ettel, a cannabis dealer, at first denied she called the cops.
#PermitPatty, also known as Alison Ettel, at first claimed that she only "pretended" to call the police on a child selling water on a San Francisco sidewalk, but audio of the call has now surfaced.
#PermitPatty, also known as Alison Ettel, at first claimed that she only “pretended” to call the police on a child selling water on a San Francisco sidewalk, but audio of the call has now surfaced.
Although Ettel denied making the call at first, she later admitted to CNN that she did in fact call the cops on the little girl and her mother because she claimed the two of them were loudly hawking the water and disrupting her work environment.
Ettel, who is white, has denied that the child being Black had anything to do with her decision to bring police into the situation.
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#PermitPatty’s 911 Call
On the 911 call obtained by KTVU, Ettel can be heard saying “Hi, I have someone who does not have a vendor’s permit who is selling water across from the ballpark. Is there someone I can talk to about that?” The dispatcher tells her he will transfer her to the police department.
Instead of calling the local precinct directly to inquire about the legality of a kid selling water on the sidewalk (which in itself is absurd), Ettel actually dialed 911. She utilized emergency services because she was “annoyed” by the mother-daughter team trying to sell water.
The video of the interaction between Ettel and the child’s mother went viral last month. Ettel attempted to duck behind a staircase to hide from the cellphone camera as she dialed 911. But she was no match for the child’s mother.
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Once the clip was posted on social media, Ettel instantly became famous and not in a good way. Though she was steadfast about following the rules when it came to minors selling water on the street, she has apparently for years been in a legal grey area with her own business TreatWell Health–a company that offers cannabis products to cats, dog, and humans. Though some states allow marijuana cultivation and distribution, it is still against federal laws.
In Ettel’s world it’s okay to be Fluffy’s weed dealer, but let’s call the police on a child making a couple dollars on a summer day selling a completely harmless product. Cool.
Backlash
Though she founded the company, #PermitPatty left her role as CEO of TreatWell Health recently because of the tremendous backlash she and the company received. TreatWell Health’s spokesperson Cynthia Gonzalez issued a statement about Ettel’s resignation.
“Alison Ettel, CEO of TreatWell Health, has resigned, effective immediately. This decision, while not an easy one, is in the best interest of their patients. It is Ms. Ettel’s belief that TreatWell, its employees, and patients should not have to suffer because of a situation that occurred in an escalated moment. And she regrets her part and is remorseful.”
Ettel claims she has received threats since the #PermitPatty video went viral.
