Questions have arisen about a private party that may have been thrown for Los Angeles County sheriff’s personnel Friday night at a Hollywood bar, even as the number of people sickened and killed by the coronavirus in the county continues to surge.

Footage posted to social media Friday night by Knock.LA, which is affiliated with the progressive activist group Ground Game LA, shows several men responding “yeah” when asked if they had arrived at Sassafras Saloon on Vine Street for an “LASD party.” In a second video, loud music can be heard blaring from inside the venue.

A person with knowledge of the event, who spoke to The Times on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said staff members of the bar had been notified that a party involving the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department had been booked for Friday night. About 100 people were expected to attend, according to that person.

In a statement Saturday, the sheriff’s department denied that the people in the video were employees or that it hosted the event.

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