Man arrested after refusing to wear mask at Jasper pool

JASPER, Ind. (WFIE) - Police arrested a man on Wednesday who’s accused of not wearing a mask at a swimming pool in Dubois County.

35-year-old Eric Kreiger is charged with criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct.

Under Gov. Eric Holcomb’s mask mandate, face coverings must be worn in order to go into a city-owned facility.

According to the Jasper City Police Department, officers were dispatched to the Jasper Municipal Swimming Pool around 4:30 p.m. to assist with an incident where Kreiger was allegedly refusing to wear a face mask, and wouldn’t leave the area when management asked him to do so.

Police say when they arrived at the pool, officers tried working with Kreiger to get him to leave. When he refused, Kreiger was then taken into custody.

“He just was being disgruntled and didn’t want to leave,” Jasper Police Chief Nathan Schmitt said. “And ultimately after so many attempts, they had to take action.”

“We gave him every chance in the world to get a mask to get in,” Jasper Park Department Director Ken Buck said. “And it made our staff feel a little uneasy, but I think everybody is okay with it at this point.”

Buck says they have masks available at pool that people can purchase for $1, and Kreiger refused to buy one. He says they don’t plan on changing or adjusting anything because of this incident.

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