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A Willow City bar owner who has been cited five times since March 25 for violating Gov. Doug Burgum’s order closing bars and restaurants to on-site service to help slow the spread of the new coronavirus says he "prefers a dangerous freedom to a peaceful slavery."

David Corum, owner of Gunslinger’s, was issued citations on March 25 and 26, two on March 27 and another on March 28, court documents show. The charges against him are infractions, an offense that does not rise to the level of a misdemeanor.

Corum said he understands that behind every statistic detailing coronavirus infections and deaths there is "a face, there's stories, there's loved ones," but he added "you also have to be realistic and pragmatic."

"Three dead out of 760,000 people? 5,000 dead out of 330 million people?" Corum said. "You're just not going to convince me this pandemic is the threat they claim it is."

Corum said he and certain county officials "go way back" and he believes some of the motivation behind the citations is political.

Corum feels President Donald Trump and Burgum can be seen standing closer than 6 feet to others in the rooms at recent meetings.

"The hypocrisy is outrageous," he said.