Family Dollar employee pulls gun on customer in ‘heated’ mask dispute, Georgia cops say
Atlanta GA Jan 31 2021 Things turned violent in a Georgia dollar store after a maskless customer said he was confronted by a gun-wielding employee, according to police.
The man said he ran into the Family Dollar in southwest Atlanta for a few items Tuesday — and was “challenged immediately” by an employee who forced him from the store at gunpoint before hitting him in the head with the butt of the gun, according to an Atlanta Police Department report obtained by McClatchy News.
Officers arrived to find the man with an injury to the back of his head and “blood stains all over his shirt,” police said. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment.
The man acknowledged he wasn’t wearing a face covering when he entered the store, sparking the “heated argument” between he and the employee, police said.
Atlanta police reviewed security footage showing the employee “pulling from his waistband and holding in his right hand what appeared to be a firearm” before attempting to push the customer out of the store. The alleged pistol-whipping wasn’t captured on video, however, police said.
Family Dollar — which says it requires all customers and employees to wear a face covering — has imposed new safety measures at its 15,000-plus stores in response to COVID-19, including plexiglass guards and regular health screenings for associates.
Authorities said the accused employee had left by the time officers arrived.
No charges have been filed and police said the investigation is ongoing.
