Mt. Carmel Police arrested two men, 49-year-old Steve R. Jones from Lansing, Michigan, and Matthew T. Wrosch, 51, from Owosso, Michigan, for Disorderly Conduct last Wednesday following an incident at First-Mid Bank.
Prior to the arrests, officers received multiple calls from employees of businesses on Market Street reporting two white males filming from the sidewalk into their establishments. One business owner mentioned that the men entered his building and, when asked how he could assist them, they requested $100. After the owner declined, the men left and continued south on Market Street.
Upon arriving at the bank, the two men approached an exterior office window and began recording a bank employee. When she asked why they were filming her, the men allegedly responded with derogatory and verbally abusive remarks. At one point, one of them made a concerning comment about getting a good view of the bank vault, prompting bank staff to worry about a potential crime. They eventually called the police to report what they suspected might be a bank robbery attempt.
When officers arrived, they encountered the men, who reacted with profanity and claimed their First Amendment rights were being infringed upon. Bank management chose to press charges due to the disturbances caused by the men’s actions, which led to the bank staff’s unnecessary alarm. Both individuals were taken to the Wabash County Jail, where they were charged and later released on Notices to Appear.
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