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. 
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