A Man Allegedly Coughed On Produce At A Massachusetts Stop & Shop

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A man in Massachusetts could be facing criminal charges after he allegedly coughed and spit on produce at a Stop & Shop, according to WHAM.

The incident happened in Kingston, MA, on Saturday and witnesses told police that it escalated into a physical confrontation with other customers and store staff. In a Facebook video captured by resident Kyle Mann, the man is seen being pinned to the ground.

“Some guy at Stop and Shop in Kingston was coughing and spitting on the produce, he didn’t last long. He fought an employee and good customers took him down until the cops arrived,” Mann wrote.

A Facebook post by the Kingston Police Department said that the 65-year-old man is not believed to have COVID-19 but that he was taken to the BID-Plymouth Hospital to be evaluated out of an abundance of caution.

Police also wrote that they are “pursuing an application for criminal complaint which may involve the following criminal charges: Assault & Battery w/ Dangerous Weapon (shod foot), Assault and Battery, Destruction of Property (produce).” The man was informed that he is no longer welcome in the store.

Stop & Shop told CBS Boston that the area has been deep cleaned and sanitized and affected produce has been discarded. Manager of External Communications and Community Relations for Stop & Shop Maria Fruci said in a statement:

The customer’s actions were not in accordance with CDC guidelines, which we have been consistently encouraging all shoppers and associates to follow to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. We have discarded potentially affected product and conducted a deep cleaning and sanitizing of all impacted areas. The Board of Health has inspected the store and affirmed the store is safe for shoppers. We are working in cooperation with local law enforcement on this matter.

In a similar incident last month, a Pennsylvania grocery store said it had to dispose of $35,000 worth of produce when a woman coughed on it in a “sick prank.”