Man Arrested for Wearing Grinch Mask

The Washington Times ^ | 5-26-05 | AP

[JZelle]

WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) -- City and county attorneys are defending Wheeling police who arrested a man for wearing a Grinch mask while walking along a city street.

Norman Eugene Gray, 42, was arrested Tuesday. He was arraigned and released on a personal recognizance bond.

Officers saw Gray about 8:45 a.m. Tuesday, told him to take the mask off and not put it on again. Gray removed it and asked why he could not wear it, according to Wheeling police reports. Officers told him wearing masks in public is illegal.

Gray said he felt he had a right to wear it and said it was not illegal. He put the mask back on and was arrested. The mask was confiscated.

[JZelle]

Can't wait to see the responses to this one!

[EX52D]

Makes me wonder what he wears when he's NOT in public?

[T Lady]

Sounds like this guy's got a few screws loose, you think?

-Regards, T.

[Izzy Dunne]

Officers told him wearing masks in public is illegal.

Obviously that's not the case, at least in other places.

Halloween parties can be in public places.

[Nachum]

Curious. This one has me scratching my Darth Vader masked head.

[IndyInVa]

And this is a danger to the public HOW?

[theDentist]

Sounds like this guy's got a few screws loose, you think?

Yup, that's why he was able to remove it(the mask) so easily. He should use a ratchet for it next time.

[stylecouncilor]

ping

[kallisti]

A burka?

[Izzy Dunne]

Sounds like this guy's got a few screws loose

Be that as it may, do you think he should have been arrested for wearing it?

[G Larry]

>Officers told him wearing masks in public is illegal.<

If the cops said this they are idiots.
If the law states this, the author is an idiot.

[tje]

A lot of 'mask' laws were created to unmask KKK members...

[Lekker 1]

[EX52D]

Perfect attire for jail! ;)

[DCPatriot]

If wearing a mask while over 18 years old is illegal, then so should a burka worn by Muslim women.

[freebilly]

masks... can pose a safety hazard to law enforcement officers and hinder efforts to identify criminal suspects

So is growing a beard, dyeing your hair, and wearing sunglasses illegal also...?

[Constitution Day]

This is certainly the case in North Carolina.

I believe the laws were enacted specifically to target the KKK.

[politicalwit]

"Officers told him wearing masks in public is illegal."

Does that mean that those "no-knock" raids by police with masked faces are illegal?

[calex59]

I am sure this is a law left over from the KKK days, when they were trying to identify members and made it illegal to wear masks in public. I think it is an idiotic law and maybe this guy was trying to push it on purpose so he could challenge it in court and try to get it over turned.