A Galveston, Texas woman is facing charges of resisting arrest and criminal trespassing after refusing to don a mask in a private establishment and taunting a police officer.
65-year-old Terry Wright got cheeky with police after being asked to wear a face mask in a local bank. Wright was under the impression because Texas' mask mandate was lifted by Republican Governor Greg Abbott, she was permitted to flout the bank's private mask rule.
She was very wrong.
"What are you going to do, arrest me?" she asked a Galveston police officer who showed up to enforce the rule.
So he did.
Lol. Anti-masker: "What are you going to do arrest me?" Police: "Yes" 😂😂😂😂 Woman arrested in Texas bank for ref… https://t.co/cpsqseRumc— Covie (@Covie) 1615762895.0
@covie_93 @LouiseMensch I hope her dog her truck is okay.— Jane Lynch (@Jane Lynch) 1615810897.0
@covie_93 This was very satisfying to watch. The office was calm and to the point. He handled it perfectly. Notice… https://t.co/JSl4Bz98UW— ProfoundlyTrivialDoodleBugIsBlueRU? (@ProfoundlyTrivialDoodleBugIsBlueRU?) 1615785911.0
@covie_93 @LouiseMensch To be clear, she was arrested for trespassing, not for failing to wear a mask. Private busi… https://t.co/QhLvYHPAbk— Party Ghost 👻 (@Party Ghost 👻) 1615811019.0
@TyCee @covie_93 And she resisted arrest. You should never resist arrest.— Louise Mensch, M.A. (@Louise Mensch, M.A.) 1615811116.0
Wright then spoke to local news network KTRK, saying she had no regrets about her anti-mask indignancy.
"My civil right is not to wear a diaper on my face, and that's how I feel about it," she said.
@covie_93 @LouiseMensch In most states, per public health & safety laws, you can’t enter a private business without… https://t.co/gknK99Oe0s— KatrinkaC 🇺🇸 V is for Vaccine! (@KatrinkaC 🇺🇸 V is for Vaccine!) 1615853067.0
@covie_93 Maybe there’s something wrong with me but this just made my day. These anti-mask right wingers say that t… https://t.co/kryHVcIwAo— Brooks Gillespie (@Brooks Gillespie) 1615763662.0
@covie_93 @LouiseMensch I starting to believe these anti-maskers are just very slow learners.🤔💯— Steve Wagner (@Steve Wagner) 1615810814.0
@covie_93 This makes me so so happy. I am sick of selfish people who refuse to wear masks and I am sick of the GOP… https://t.co/hLv7EQJFXS— SistaSicily/Tunisia/ #GOPSedition/#BLM (@SistaSicily/Tunisia/ #GOPSedition/#BLM) 1615763076.0
As she was being arrested, Wright declared she was experiencing "police brutality, right here people," to which several patrons also in line for the Bank of America dissented.
"No," one can be heard saying.
"No it's not," said another.
@covie_93 I saw this on our local news (even though it wasn't in GA) and I started laughing a felt a bit of joy....… https://t.co/xOTqPFojio— DemocracyAtRisk (@DemocracyAtRisk) 1615832707.0
@covie_93 I'm ashamed at how much enjoyment I got from that.— beth82 (@beth82) 1615808956.0
@covie_93 I love the “Jesus Christ” from the policeman as he shuts the door.— Lorna Dzialo (@Lorna Dzialo) 1615766210.0
@covie_93 People just don’t get it. As soon as they step over the threshold of a business, they’re in private prope… https://t.co/IIinEwfaqH— LulaLovesEli (@LulaLovesEli) 1615816237.0
@covie_93 I saw this! She just KNEW somebody was going to defend her. It must’ve been a sobering moment for her.— soulsister (@soulsister) 1615762986.0
Wright told The Washington Post she believed the pandemic was a conspiracy to control Americans and likened mask-wearing to the death camps of Nazi Germany.
"I feel like I took one for the team, because people need to wake up," she said, adding "people can't cancel me, I'm retired."
Galveston police spokeswoman Stacy Papillion said Wright will still be charged for trespassing, regardless.