In a video posted by X user Tbone (@vegastbone), a man is shown being held by two uniformed police officers next to a hot dog stand complete with peppers and onions and a smorgasbord of toppings like ketchup and mustard.
"Someone's getting arrested for selling hotdogs, man," the videographer narrates. "Undercover, brother. This is a sting operation at game five. ... Hot dog sting operation, man."
According to the Denver Police Department, a hot dog sting operation it was not. Although plainclothes officers don't wear uniforms, they do wear badges, and these officers were not working in an undercover capacity, a DPD statement says.
"At approximately 10:30 p.m., plainclothes officers contacted several individuals who were on Ball Arena property," the department says. "They were advised that they were not able to continue selling food on Ball Arena property and were asked to move off of the property. Several vendors left the property except for one individual later identified as Alejandro Ramirez."
Unreal an undercover hotdog sting operation outside Ball Arena Game 5 Lakers vs Nuggets. pic.twitter.com/F1Rlm6ckwE
— Tbone (@vegastbone) April 30, 2024
Ramirez, whom Denver Sheriff Department inmate search records lists as still being held in the Downtown Detention Center, allegedly tried to walk away from the officers. At that point, they placed him in custody. He is being held on charges of selling without a license, providing false information regarding his identity and resisting police authority.
In Denver, vendors must have a peddler's license with the Department of Excise & Licenses and follow certain rules in order to legally sell food. Licensees will pay $25 for an application fee and $50 for the license, which they can get by sharing their criminal history, providing a character reference and proving their identity; undocumented individuals are not prevented from becoming peddlers. But any applicant must also pass a city safety inspection.
Peddlers are also required to move about constantly in the course of their work, so they can't have tables, wagons or carts, as Ramirez did outside Ball Arena.
“All goods and/or products must be carried on an individual peddler’s person and may not be carried, displayed, or stored in or on any carts, dollies, tables, wagons, coolers, or similar devices,” the city’s guidelines specify.
Ramirez's court information is not yet available. According to the DPD, in addition to the plainclothes officers who spoke to those illegally selling food and merchandise, there are signs around the property instructing people not to do so.
