At 3:41 AM on July 28 2023, a man entered a 7-Eleven in Stockton, California, went behind the counter, and threatened an employee with a shooting if he interfered, according to police reports. He then stole several packs of cigarettes and other items, stuffing them into a large garbage bag before escaping.
The next day, at 12:27 AM, the same individual returned to the same 7-Eleven, this time demanding money while pretending to have a gun. When the employee refused to comply, the suspect took food items instead, fleeing again with his loot.
On July 29 2023, just hours after his previous theft, the man came back once more, this time with a trash can, attempting to fill it with cigarettes. This incident was captured on video where store employees physically confronted him, leading to a violent altercation.
Following the confrontation, the suspect, injured, left the store and later sought medical attention, complaining of pain in his leg and shoulder. Initially, it was unclear whether he was a victim of assault or the perpetrator of the robberies.
The Stockton Police Department, aided by a video recorded by a witness, linked the assault with the series of robberies. The video, which went viral, showed the employees using excessive force against the suspect, prompting community discussion on vigilante justice versus self-defense.
The incident sparked a debate on community safety and the role of law enforcement, especially given the proximity of the police station to the crime scene. The community expressed mixed feelings, with some supporting the store workers’ actions as a necessary defense, while others criticized the violence used.
Louis Benton the witness who filmed the viral footage, told abc10: ‘I was shocked, so that’s why I really didn’t say anything in the video.
‘I really just posted it on my (Instagram) stories and then from there someone took it off my stories and it just went viral.
‘It came to a point where it got a little excessive so I was kind of like, ‘Yo, you know, we got to chill, we got to relax.
‘Those two workers who protected their store, they did a courageous act. I believe that if I wasn’t there that guy would probably be more hurt than he was.
‘The police station is right across the street. Why is there no presence over there?
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