‘I’m a Christian woman of God.’ Texas school board candidate cited after refusing mask.
A Texas school board candidate near Austin was arrested for assault after an altercation with a Nordstrom Rack employee earlier this month.
Video of Kara Bell’s arrest has gone viral. It shows the woman arguing with Nordstrom employees inside near the fitting rooms and then with the police outside the store. Eventually, the officers had heard enough and issued a citation, according to reports, including KVUE-TV, and police video.
“This is my right as much as it is yours. This is my land as much as it is yours,” Bell told police, referring to her refusal to wear a face covering inside the store. “I did not sign up for this. I am a Christian woman of God. And you are not going to put your disgusting rules on me that are false and not true. I will not have it. You understand that?”
Gov. Greg Abbott lifted the state’s mask mandate in March but allowed businesses to continue requiring patrons to wear them if desired.
Sunset Valley police were called to the store on Brodie Lane after Bell refused to put on a mask when she entered the store. According to the police report and other witnesses, Bell shoved an employee “before forcing her way into a dressing room,” KVUE reported. Apparently, Bell then called the Nordstrom Rack corporate office.
Two witnesses corroborated the employee’s story for police.
In the video, Bell refused to tell officers her name before she is handcuffed. Bell, a candidate for the Lake Travis school board, resisted arrest while yelling to others in the area, according to the video. She was cited for a Class C misdemeanor, which can result in a fine up to $500.
“I’m sick of being bullied. I’m sick of being lied to and it’s not going to happen anymore. Do you understand,” Bell is seen and heard saying on the video. She was about to say something about the CDC before the officers put her in handcuffs.
This story was originally published April 18, 2021 at 10:41 PM.
