Armed Protesters, Bar Owner Arrested For Violating Texas Governor’s Order

Six armed men and a bar owner were arrested Monday (May 4) after authorities caught them violating a state order mandated by Governor of the state of Texas.

Ector County Sheriff Mike Griffis said in a news conference that his station was notified that the owner of Big Daddy Zane’s, a bar in West Odessa, Texas, opened her establishment despite stern orders from Governor Greg Abbott that bars remain closed.

Officers who responded to the bar saw six men in body armor and armed with rifles standing outside. Odessa American reported that the men were protesters supporting the establishment’s owner as she violated state orders.

More than 20 people attended the protest, alongside Open Texas, a group who travels around Texas urging businesses that were deemed by the Governor as non-essential to re-open their doors to the public. Before assembling at Big Daddy Zane’s, the group also attended a rally at Anytime Fitness in Odessa.

“We’re here to inspire the American people to stand up. Every single one of my buddies just got arrested for doing nothing wrong, all our rifles were slinged,” Phillip Archibald of Open Texas told News West 9.

Members of Open Texas are known to carry firearms during their rallies, but Archibald defended this when he said that they have no intention of using their guns, but as a representation of their Second Amendment rights. He also added that they carried “in defense of the bar’s First Amendment rights,” according to Odessa America.

“This was not a protest of their second amendment rights. It was a show of force to ensure this lady could violate the governor’s order,” Griffis told reporters, through ABC News.

The arrested men were identified as Wyatt Winn, 23; Carlo O’Brien, 20; Jesse Semrad, 36; Joshua Watt, 31; Anthony Elden, 24 and Brandon Burney, 21.

Big Daddy Zane’s owner, Gabrielle Ellison, 47, was also arrested, as well as Trinity Jackson, 31.

The men were charged with having weapons on a licensed property. Ellison was slapped with violation of emergency management plan and Jackson with interference, said CBS 7.

Governor Abbott’s reopening plan took effect Friday where it allowed stores and restaurants to resume their operations provided that they will only serve a limited number of customers. Bars were not included in Abbott’s “first phase” plan, said ABC News.