Exclusive Details

Jamar Mackey Has COVID, Blames Maskless Cops Who Falsely Detained Him

Jamar Mackey, the VA Beach man cops erroneously detained at a mall, says he's tested positive for COVID-19 ... and he's squarely blaming the maskless officers who cuffed him.

Jamar's outrageous encounter with cops on Dec. 19 made national headlines, because VA Beach PD grabbed the wrong guy in what appeared to be a clear case of racial profiling. At the time, Jamar and his fiancé told TMZ they were pissed -- not only for the humiliation and alleged profiling -- but because the officers were not wearing masks.

TMZ.com

Jamar and Shantel Covil tell us they take the pandemic and quarantine very seriously because he owns a sanitizing business, and she has a home healthcare business. They both test frequently, and he says he got his positive test result on Dec. 22 -- just 3 days after the incident -- so he's convinced that was the source of his infection.

As for whether the involved officers have the coronavirus -- VBPD says they can't comment due to privacy laws.

So far, Shantel has tested negative, but Jamar tells us they're most concerned about their children, including their a newborn, contracting the virus.

Jamar and Shantel say they want VBPD to make some big changes, including firing the maskless officer who handcuffed Jamar.

Click here for info about our online advertising practices.