Man who went for a dip in Bass Pro Shops fish tank arrested, Louisiana police say
A Louisiana man who went for a quick swim with the fish inside a Bass Pro Shops aquarium tank now faces criminal charges, according to Bossier City Police.
Police arrested Kevin Wise on a misdemeanor charge of simple criminal damage to property in the incident, local station KTAL reported. He was later “released on a summons to appear in court,” according to the station.
A spokesperson for Bossier police confirmed to McClatchy News the man was arrested by citation instead of being booked into jail.
Bystander Treasure McGraw captured the moment a fully-clothed Wise, 26, plunged into the tank and swam around before climbing out and fleeing the outdoor sporting goods store, video shows.
“We heard a big splash and I thought it was one of the fish,” McGraw told KSLA. “My fiance was like, ‘somebody is in the tank,’ and we saw the guy swimming.”
The man reportedly “removed his coronavirus mask and his hat” before diving in, according to FOX 6.
Wise told KSLA he pulled the prank for his “five minutes of fame” on the social media platform TikTok.
“I said that if I got 2,000 likes I would jump in the tank,” Wise said, according to the news station. “I got way more than that and didn’t want to be a liar.”
Bass Pro Shops initially said it declined to press charges against the social media star, but said he would have to foot the bill if the fish were harmed or there was any damage to the aquarium, according to KSLA.
In a complaint filed June 26, the retailer said it “determined that there would be costs associated with emptying and cleaning the 13,000-gallon aquarium, which features species of fish local to the region,” KTAL reported.
On Sunday, Wise posted a TikTok video asking for donations to help cover court costs and other fees he incurred after the viral stunt.
“I’m gonna have a pretty hefty fine,” he says in the video. “I don’t know the price of it yet, plus whatever damages I caused, for the testing of the water and examination of the fish, which they had to hire a biologist — I can’t afford that. Plus the court fees, all that.”
McClatchy News contacted Bass Pro Shops for comment and is awaiting response.
This story was originally published June 29, 2020 at 11:46 AM.