A Louisiana man is facing multiple charges after he allegedly plowed his car into a police officer who asked him to wear a mask while inside of a Walmart.
“You can’t make me wear a f—ing mask,: said Ricky Taylor, 64, when confronted by an officer inside the shopping center, according to arrest documents, per The Hill.
When the officer asked Taylor for his license, he replied: “I could give it to you but I’m not,” the affidavit said.
The officer then followed Taylor out of the store, and while he was reporting his license plate number to dispatch “Taylor backed his vehicle up and struck him two different times,” the arrest report said.
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The officer was not seriously injured during the incident, nor did he fall down, but he did lose his balance.
One Twitter user noted, “Ricky Taylor, is lucky he is white, if he were black he would be dead by now, from several bullets or a chokehold!”
When a second officer arrived at the scene and attempted to arrest Taylor, a struggle allegedly ensured, Taylor fell to the ground and resisted arrest.
He told officers he could not wear a mask due to a medical condition. He also claimed he didn’t see the officer behind his car, according to arrest documents.
A day after his arrest, Taylor was released from the Ouachita Correctional Center on $2,250 bond.
Meanwhile, Walmart wants him placed on a trespass notice.
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The retail giant on Wednesday announced that customers will be required to wear masks while shopping at any one of its more than 5,000 stores. The move is in an effort to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
“While we’re certainly not the first business to require face coverings, we know this is a simple step everyone can take for their safety and the safety of others in our facilities,” the company wrote in a joint statement from Walmart Chief Operating Officer Dacona Smith and Sam’s Club Chief Operating Officer Lance de la Rosa.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) recently issued an order requiring everyone over the age of 8 to wear a mask in public, unless a medical condition prohibits it.
“This is a mandate, not a law. In announcing the mandate, Governor Edwards himself says it will not be enforceable by law enforcement agencies,” the West Monroe Police Department said in a statement.
“However, businesses are required to insist customers wear masks. If you enter a business and are told to wear a mask, compliance is expected. Business owners do have the right to require customers to wear masks and ask them to leave if they do not,” the statement said.
“Should the customer refuse the business owners request and also refuse to leave when asked to leave for non-compliance, the customer could possibly face criminal charges of trespassing for refusing to leave the premises after being told to do so” the statement continued.
More than half of the states have issued statewide mask mandates.
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