A 65-year-old woman from Texas approached her and found her handcuffed after she refused to leave a Galveston Bank of America branch that required customers to wear a coronavirus mask.
A Galveston police officer arrived on the scene and told the woman the woman, who Fox 26 Houston later identified as Terry White.
“Ma’am, if they ask you to leave, you must leave,” the officer said in a camera video.
“My money is in this bank and I’m going to take it out,” she replies.
“Well, then you have to follow their rules,” the officer replied.
Even as the Texas government, Greg Abbott, has lifted a state-wide mask mandate, private companies may still apply their own mask rules, capacity constraints or other safety guidelines.
TEXAS LIFTS HIS CORONAVIRUS MASK MANDATE IF MATCHABILITY MAY EXTEND
“Businesses have the right to refuse service, even if you do not wear a mask,” the official explained. “You have to go get a mask and then take out your money.”
She accused the officer of “taking away people’s human rights” in a video of the arrest.
(FOX 26 Houston)
She continues to protest, and the officer tells her ‘we are going to do it the easy or hard way.’
“What are you going to do, arrest me?” she replied.
EMPLOYEES OF TEXAS SUPERMARKE CHAIN HAVE QUESTION COMPANY REQUIRES MASKS
“Yes, because I intruded on the premises,” he says.
After something back and forth, the officer adds, “This is not a public place. This is a private business.”
Then he tries to provoke her.
“Backup! Backup! An old lady is being handcuffed here!” she shouted.
In the video, she seems to ignore his instructions to put her hands behind her back and asks, “Is anyone really going to be here? Nobody is really going to be? Wow.”
He handcuffs her.
“Police brutality here, people,” she declared.
“No … no, it’s not,” a chorus of other bank customers can hear. She calls them a bunch of sheep. ‘
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
White, who accused the arrest of breaking her foot, was taken to a hospital for treatment.
She is facing charges of criminal trespassing and resisting arrest, although according to Abbott’s latest order, it is not a crime in Texas.