The employee of a Richmond convenience store was arrested Sunday on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon following an altercation with a customer who was told to leave the store for not wearing a mask, police said.
The incident unfolded at about 7:30 p.m. at the store in the 2100 block of Macdonald Avenue, where a clerk approached a customer about not wearing a mask, police said. The customer, a 21-year-old man, began using his hooded sweatshirt as a face covering. He was then asked to leave, which led to a verbal altercation between him and a store employee.
The customer left the store, followed by the employee, a 25-year-old man. An argument ensued leading to the customer throwing punches at the employee, police said
The employee walked back into the store and the customer walked away from the business, but the dispute didn’t end there. The employee retrieved a baseball bat, exited the store and engaged in another altercation with the customer. The customer was hit with the bat numerous times, including in the head, receiving a large laceration to his head that required medical attention at a local hospital, according to police.
The store employee also went to the hospital to be treated for injuries sustained during the fist fight, police said. Afterward, the employee was then booked into jail for assault with a deadly weapon.
Names of the individuals involved are not being released at this time, police said.
