Woman arrested after refusing to wear a mask or voluntarily leave a store

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – Last week the Fort St. John RCMP were called to a local business for a report of a disturbance.

The detachment says they received a report on September 28th of a woman refusing to wear a mask, as per the Provincial Health Order. She also refused to leave the business when asked.

Police attended and spoke with those involved, and after talking, the woman left the business without further incident. Then, there was a second incident in which she was arrested.

A few days later, on October 1st, RCMP was called to Shoppers Drug Mart for a report of a disturbance. Once police arrived, they noticed the same woman from the incident on September 28th, refusing to wear a mask and refusing to leave the store when asked to do so by the business.

Police spoke to those involved and asked the woman to wear a mask as per the PHO. When that failed, police asked the woman to leave the store voluntarily. Again, she refused and continued to argue loudly with the staff, causing a disturbance in the store.

When the woman wouldn’t wear a mask while inside the store or leave on her own, she was arrested for mischief and later released for a court date on Thursday, November 18th, 2021.

The woman is currently on conditions to not enter Shoppers Drug Mart in FSJ, and this investigation is ongoing.

We wish to remind the public that face masks are mandatory in all public places, said Cst. Chad Neustaeter, Fort St John RCMP.