Bodycam Footage Shows Woman’s Arrest After She Refused to Wear a Mask in Texas Bank

COVID-19 safety requirement vary from state to state and from business to business. For example, while some states require residents to wear face masks in any public place, other states have lifted their mask mandate and allow individual businesses to decide what rules they want to enforce.

Last week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that he was lifting the state-wide mask mandate effective March 10, 2021. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Texas residents no longer need to wear face masks. Instead, the governor is leaving the decision up to businesses and individuals. For example, the Texas Rangers have decided that masks will be required at Globe Life Field.

A 65-year-old woman named Terry Wright knew that Governor Abbott had rolled back the mask mandate in Texas, so it seems that she thought that meant she wouldn’t be required to wear a face mask anywhere in the state. She was wrong.

Bank of America still requires customers to wear face masks. On Thursday, one day after the state-wide mask mandate was lifted, Wright entered a Bank of America in Galveston, Texas. She was not wearing a face mask.

When Wright entered the bank, employees told her that she would need to wear a face mask. She refused. They ended up calling the police.

Bodycam footage shows an officer arresting Wright at Bank of America for refusing to comply with their face mask policy. Watch the video below to see this footage for yourself and to learn more about why Wright refused wear a face mask.

Wright was technically not arrested for refusing to wear a face mask. The bank called the police to report criminal trespass. Wright was charged with criminal trespass as well as resisting arrest. According to the police department, they are not enforcing face masks.

In a statement, Bank of America explained, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other medical experts continue to reinforce the importance of using face coverings and practicing physical distancing in all public spaces. In accordance with that ongoing guidance, we continue to require everyone who enters our financial centers wear a face covering. If clients inform us that they are uncomfortable wearing a face covering or unable to do so, we recommend they use our ATMs or drive-through window. Clients also can utilize mobile and online banking for the majority of their day-to-day banking needs.”

In an interview with Eyewitness News, Wright said that she was not able to go through the drive-thru because she was traveling in an RV, and her RV wouldn’t fit.