A video circulating on social media reportedly shows a disabled veteran being attacked in a shopping mall because he wasn’t wearing a mask.
“This assault on a disabled veteran for not wearing a mask is disturbing on every level. We secured this nation and our freedoms now we are under attack,” the Twitter account Code of Vets, a veteran’s advocacy group, said, accompanied by footage of the scene.
This assault on a disabled veteran for not wearing a mask is disturbing on every level. We secured this nation and our freedoms now we are under attack.
— Code of Vets ™ (@codeofvets) December 28, 2020
“Hey, what the f—,” someone in the crowd says as the veteran is surrounded by security guards in the North Star Mall in San Antonio, Texas.
“Get off of him,” a person says as the man, who is maskless, is pushed against a glass store window display, and at one point was held in a chokehold stance. “You’re choking him.”
“I’m a disabled veteran,” the man says in the video as he is slowly pulled to the floor.
He is then seen laying on his stomach on the floor as security guards and others pin him down.
“You’re f—ing hurting him, bitches,” a woman shouts.
The video pans to show the man sitting on the floor with his hands cuffed behind his back, and then also shows a woman on the ground holding the back of her head as she slumped against the wall.
The San Antonio Police Department told the Washington Examiner that the man, identified as Eric Matthew Braden, was arrested and charged with criminal trespass-private property after protesting in the mall and not wearing a mask.
“Officers responded to North Star Mall for an unplanned but organized protest event. Mall security and an off duty officer were confronted by a group of protesters who refused to wear face mask, were given a criminal trespass warning, and told to leave the property. Security and the off duty officer had to take one male into custody who was attempting to escalate the situation, but the remaining participants left without further incident. The male was arrested for criminal trespass private property and was transported to University Hospital by EMS with complaints of a pre-existing back injury. All notifications were made aware of the incident,” police said.
Videos of people without masks in public areas being confronted have spread since mask mandates were implemented in states across the country.
One recent viral video showed a young couple with their 2-year-old child being booted off of a flight because their daughter was not wearing a mask.
“Today we got kicked off of a United flight going from Denver to Newark because our 2yo would not ‘comply’ and keep her mask on. Go see the full IGTV on my Instagram,” Twitter user Eliz Orban posted this month, along with a video that has been viewed millions of times.
