Motorcyclist Arrested After Wearing A Helmet Inside Walmart

Back in August 2019, a motorcyclist in Sahuarita, Arizona in a full-face helmet, with the visor down, plus armored jacket and pants, wearing a backpack was arrested by police after he walked through a Walmart. His initial offense was not taking off his helmet while walking through the store, which sounds wild to some people. However, things escalated and the motorcyclist faced criminal charges.

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According to the 22-year-old Freedom Pfaendler, he was riding to work when he decided to stop at Walmart for a few quick items. He left his helmet on and was listening to music inside the helmet, meaning he couldn’t hear anyone.

A store manager tried asking the man, whose identity was fully obscured, to remove his helmet as he walked through the store, but Pfaendler claims he didn’t hear or see the man. What the guy might not have known or realized was just days before, someone walked into a Walmart and did a mass shooting.

Pfaendler’s gear, including the helmet, looked intimidating. Some might have thought it looked like military tactical gear. The backpack could have contained a small arsenal. That’s why the Walmart manager called police. When officers arrived, they found Pfaendler putting the items he purchased at a checkout inside his backpack, using a bench at the front of the store.

People are divided on how the exchange between cops and Pfaendler went. We’ve included the bodycam footage so you can make up your own mind. Some argue officers escalated the situation and that the sergeant on the scene violated the motorcyclist’s civil rights.

But others believe Pfaendler broke a serious item of courtesy and civility decent motorcycle riders follow of removing their helmet when they step inside a business.

Ultimately, Pfaendler was arrested for disorderly conduct, but the charges were dropped. Pfaendler in turn sued the city of Sahuarita and five members of the police force. The case was dismissed by the judge, but the motorcyclist’s attorney refiled it two weeks afterward.

The case was tied up in the courts for years.

In May 2024, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the decision of a lower court, dismissing Pfaendler’s lawsuit. The judge said be believed officers did in fact have probable cause to arrest the motorcyclist and search his backpack, reports Green Valley News.

What this case means for motorcycle riders, and anyone else who wears a helmet, is you should always remove your helmet before going into businesses or any establishment. That should be common sense, but apparently that’s not all that common.

Images via Green Valley News & Sun/YouTube