A viral video shows two California 7-Eleven workers beating a disruptive shoplifter with a large wooden club. The stick wielder is being investigated for potential prosecution by the California police.
On Saturday, the Stockton Police Department released a statement saying they are “aware of the incident and the investigation is ongoing.” Authorities have promised to provide their findings to the San Joaquin County District Attorney for review once the investigation is complete.
The employees said that the same burglar had repeatedly stolen from the store, once he stole multiple times within 24 hours. On July 29, video footage of them confronting and striking the would-be robber filling a garbage can with items behind the counter.
After their arrival on the scene, the cops found a man outside the establishment who was complaining of pain in his leg and shoulder. He told police that he “did not know if he had been assaulted.” The suspect was sent to a hospital for further evaluation.
The police said Saturday that when this was reported, officers could not confirm if the male was a victim of an assault or a suspect related to the series of robberies at the 7-Eleven.
The man in the video, whose head is covered by a blue cloth, can be seen in the viral video removing packages of cigarettes from the shelf and dumping them in a rolling trash can.
The employee then tackles the robbery suspect, keeping him from fleeing from behind the counter.
The robbery suspect can be seen and heard screaming in pain as another worker enters the frame with a large piece of wood and begins to thrash him. The bulk of the clerk’s hits were to the suspect’s lower body, with an occasional wack on his torso.
Earlier, the same suspect entered the store, pretending to have a pistol and demanding cash. After the shopkeeper said no, the guy grabbed some food and ran off.
After the stick incident, many people who saw the footage on social media lauded the clerks as heroes.
Tyrone Frazier, the accused would-be robber, appeared in court on Wednesday but did not enter a plea to the six accusations against him.
Two charges of robbery, attempted robbery, criminal threats, business burglary, and vandalism have been filed against Frazier.
The attempted robbery was recorded on camera and is linked to one of the allegations.
