Freedom-Loving Man Arrested for Ditching Coronavirus Mask to Swim in Bass Pro Shop Aquarium

A Louisiana man seen swimming in a Bass Pro Shop aquarium in a viral video has been arrested and charged by police.

The video: Footage shared widely on social media last week shows Kevin Wise, 26, discarding his coronavirus face mask to plunge into the 13,000-gallon fish tank in a Bossier City Bass Pro Shop.

The crime: Wise was arrested by citation and charged with simple criminal damage to property, a misdemeanor, NBC affiliate KTAL reported.

  • Authorities received a complaint on Friday after Bass Pro Shop learned there would be costs associated with cleaning the tank.
  • Wise was eventually released on a summons to appear in court.
  • Wise told CBS affiliate KSAL that he jumped into the tank as part of a stunt to celebrate getting 2,000 likes on TikTok.
The reaction: Social media commenters were mostly amused by Wise’s actions.

Some couldn’t help but politicize the moment. Others saw in Wise an exemplar of the free-wheeling, rebellious American character. In the culture war over liberty versus safety during the resurgent coronavirus pandemic, Bass Pro Shop has defended what it says is its Second Amendment right to stay open and sell firearms.
  • Apparently, though, the company believes there is such a thing as too much freedom. 
by is licensed under

Follow us

Read our latest news on any of these social networks!

Get latest news delivered daily!

We will send you breaking news right to your inbox


Have a tip? Let us know!

Recent Articles

...
Trump administration strikes deal with Brown University to restore funding

Brown University has cut a deal with the Trump administration to restore research grant funding to the school, in exchange for commitments on women's sports, antisemitism and admissions practices and a promise to donate $50 million to workforce development programs.

...
Harris tells Colbert, in first interview out of office, that the U.S. system is ‘broken’

In her first interview since losing the election to President Trump and leaving office, former Vice President Kamala Harris told Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show” that her decision not to run for California governor was more “basic” than saving herself for a “different office” — which is to say, another run for president in 2028.

  • by:
  • Source: NY Post
  • 08/01/2025
...
Read the documents that prove Hillary Clinton OK’d plan to ‘smear’ Trump with Russia collusion

Hillary Clinton signed off on a plan hatched by a top campaign adviser to “smear” then-candidate Donald Trump with false claims of Russian collusion and distract from her own mounting email scandal during the 2016 campaign...

  • by:
  • Source: AP News
  • 07/31/2025
...
Trump calls GOP’s Hawley ‘second tier’ senator after bill to ban stock trades in government advances

President Donald Trump lashed out at Sen. Josh Hawley on Wednesday after the Republican’s proposal to ban stock trading by members of Congress — and the president and vice president — won bipartisan approval to advance in a committee vote.