Accused Snickers Thief Suing 7-Eleven Over Video Of His Struggle With Employees
A man who stands accused of pilfering a Snickers bar from a Brooklyn 7-Eleven is now suing the company over the emotional distress he says he suffered after a video showing the altercation with employees went viral. This is no simple nabbing of a shoplifter and waiting around for the cops to show up.
In the video, employees grab the man as he’s leaving the store, while he protests that he hasn’t taken anything. (You can watch it here, but be warned there’s lots of bad language and thrashing about.)
It’s all downhill from there — during the struggle the man’s clothes are pulled off until eventually he’s left with just a torn shirt around his waist and his pants down to his ankles. At one point during the kerfuffle it appears that an employee bites the man on his back, or at least bares his teeth very closely.
In the year since the Oct. 20, 2012 incident, the video was shown widely on the Internet on numerous news outlet. That lingering reminder of the incident and the situation itself has caused the 29-year-old emotional and physical distress, he says in the lawsuit, which can be read here.
The suit calls the incident a “violent, unprovoked and widely publicized assault…completely disproportionate to what they were accusing him of: stealing a candy bar.”
In addition to suffering “bruising, bite marks and…physical pain,” the plaintiff also endured “serious and permanent injuries…pain, shock and mental anguish…These injuries and their effects will be permanent.”
He’s seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages over the brawl.
Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.