A viral video shows an Alabama man, George Owens, jumping – and swimming – in a large fish tank at a Bass Pro Shop.
The man took his clothes off before jumping into the fish tank, but the videos below have blurred out his private parts.
Owens was arrested after the incident, which occurred in Leeds, Alabama, according to Fox News.
AL.com reported that Owens did a “cannonball” jump into the aquarium before standing under a waterfall.
It’s not the first time it’s happened, either. In 2020, a man was videotaped swimming in a Bass Pro Shop tank in Bossier City, Louisiana. According to KSLA, a TikTok user named @WevinKise “said he did it for his five minutes of fame.”
Here’s what you need to know:
The Video Shows George Owens Swimming in the Fish Tank as Officers Arrive at the Scene
According to Fox News, citing Leeds police, Owens, 42, is accused of “acting erratically” before driving “into a pole in the store parking lot.” That’s when he’s accused of entering the store and jumping into the aquarium.
Fox News reported that Owens’ family told police he has mental health issues. According to AL.com, the man was “evaluated at a hospital for mental issues” before being booked into the jail.
The St. Clair County jail booking sheet for Owens, obtained by Heavy, says he is a 42-year-old white male from Sterrett, Alabama. He was booked on January 4 and was being held for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department.
His release date is listed in the booking sheet as January 5.
Police officers can be seen responding to the scene as Owens continued to swim in the fish tank.
The Incident Occurred at the Leeds, Alabama, Bass Pro Shop
Naked man jumps in BPS fish tank and then falls out and knocks himself out. 😂😂😂
CBS 42 reported that the incident occurred at the Leeds Bass Pro Shop on Thursday evening, January 4, 2023.
“It’s very unfortunate that people like this aren’t receiving the treatment they need,” Leeds Police Chief Paul Irwin told the television station.
CBS 42 reported that Owens is now accused of “public lewdness, disorderly conduct, assault in the second degree, resisting arrest, two counts of reckless endangerment and two counts of criminal mischief.”
According to the Associated Press, Owens is accused of leaving the aquarium, yelling at police officers, and then jumping back in. AP described the maneuver Owens chose to jump into the aquarium as a “cannonball plunge.”
The incident occurred “in front of shocked shoppers,” AP reported, adding that Leeds is located not far from Birmingham, Alabama.
According to the AP story, Owens “was in the water for about five minutes before officers arrived” at the scene. He eventually exited the fish tank and “fell to the concrete floor below,” AP reported. According to AL.com, Owens appeared “to have been knocked out by the fall.”
According to its website, the Bass Pro Shop in Leeds is open well into the evening.
The store’s last post on its Facebook page reads, “Guess who’s back? At a Bass Pro Shops near you Santa ARRIVES TODAY! Families are invited to Bass Pro Shops tonight to kick off the Christmas season, featuring Santa as he returns to open Santa’s Wonderland!” The establishment touts itself as a “sporting goods store.”
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