Lawsuit filed after Kroger security guard stabbed a customer
Louisville KY January 24 2020
Earlier this week, attorney Martin Pohl with the Kentucky personal injury law firm Hessig & Pohl, filed a claim against the Kroger grocery store chain seeking $1 million in damages on behalf of a customer who was stabbed in the store on New Year’s Eve.
The man visited the grocery store to exchange coins that he received as a gag gift from a family member. As he arrived at the Louisville grocery store around 9 p.m., shortly before closing, he was approached by the store’s security guard.
According to the police, who reviewed the store’s surveillance footage, the security guard started an argument with the customer, explaining that the store was about to close. The two men got into a heated argument, and, as the customer started to turn to exit the store, the security guard grabbed him by the neck and began punching him.
The security guard then used a pocketknife to stab the customer once in the back. It was not until a moment later that the customer realized his back was bleeding and that the security guard had stabbed him. Louisville police arrested the security guard, charging him with second-degree assault.
The lawsuit, filed in Kentucky state court, seeks to hold Kroger accountable for the injuries the customer sustained as a result of the attack. According to the complaint, attorney Martin Pohl is seeking a total of $1 million in damages, $500,000 in compensatory damages and an additional $500,000 in punitive damages. The lawsuit names Kroger, the security guard and another unnamed employee as defendants. The unnamed employee was seen ramming a shopping cart into the customer’s back during the altercation.
Attorney Martin Pohl explains that employers can often be held liable for the acts of their employees, noting, “I would hope that a company as big as Kroger would do a thorough investigation for the security of any employee.”
Court records show that the security guard was found guilty of disorderly conduct in 2015 and fourth-degree assault in 2006. Kroger has thus far declined all requests for comment on the incident, relying on the generic statement that the safety of the store’s customers and employees is the company’s “top priority.”
