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Watch: Texas Woman Taken Down, Arrested After Bank Asks Her to Leave for Not Wearing Mask

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A Texas woman learned the hard way that just because her state no longer has a mask mandate, that doesn’t mean no one ever has to wear a mask again.

Although Republican Gov. Greg Abbott rescinded the state’s mask mandates in a March 2 executive order, private businesses still retain the right to require customers and employees to wear masks, as well as to refuse service to any customer, according to Fox News.

And that left Terry White, 65, on the wrong side of the law when she went inside to withdraw cash from a Bank of America location in Galveston, Texas, on Thursday without a mask on.

“Ma’am, if they ask you to leave, you have to leave,” White was told by a responding officer called to the scene, whose interaction with White was captured on his bodycam footage.



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“My money is in this bank, and I’m going to take it out,” she said.

“Well, then you have to abide by their rules,” the officer responded. “Businesses have the right to refuse service, even if you’re not wearing a mask. You need to go and get a mask and then take your money out.”

After several seconds of pushback from White, who remained unmovable,  the officer said, “We’re gonna do this the easy way or the hard way.”

“What are you gonna do, arrest me?” she asked incredulously.

Was the bank right to enforce its policy like this?

“Yes, for intruding on-premises,” the officer said.

“This is a public place,” White said. “This is not a public place — this is a private business,” the officer responded.

After asking the woman to follow him outside to no avail, the officer pulled out his handcuffs.

Attempting to run away from the police officer, White tried to get sympathy or assistance from other customers. “Back up! Back up! Some old lady is getting handcuffed here!” she yelled.

As the officer told her to put her hands behind her back, White appealed for help.

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“Is anybody gonna get real here? No one’s gonna get real? Wow,” she said. “Police brutality right here, people.”

“No … no it’s not,” numerous other customers inside the bank were heard saying. White then dismissed them as “a bunch of sheep.”

The episode drew several comments on Twitter — some applauding the officer’s actions in upholding the bank’s right to refuse service, and some stating their objections to the bank’s response.

Fox News reported that White now faces charges of criminal trespass and resisting arrest, though she cannot be charged for refusal to wear a mask under new Texas law.

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Jack Davis is a freelance writer who joined The Western Journal in July 2015 and chronicled the campaign that saw President Donald Trump elected. Since then, he has written extensively for The Western Journal on the Trump administration as well as foreign policy and military issues.
Jack Davis is a freelance writer who joined The Western Journal in July 2015 and chronicled the campaign that saw President Donald Trump elected. Since then, he has written extensively for The Western Journal on the Trump administration as well as foreign policy and military issues.
Jack can be reached at jackwritings1@gmail.com.
Location
New York City
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Foreign Policy, Military & Defense Issues




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