A man couldn’t buy cigarettes at Walgreens, so he attacked with candy, Florida cops say
A man was arrested after a confrontation at a Walgreens escalated.
According to a police report from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, deputies went to the Poinsettia Avenue store in Clearwater Beach a little after 1 a.m. Monday.
A 23-year-old man was waiting to purchase a box of 305 brand cigarettes when he was asked to show ID, but only presented a photo of the card, and was “refused due to the business policy.”
In Florida, cashiers are required to ask for driver’s license or some other form of government-issued identification in order to purchase tobacco or nicotine products if the shopper appears to be under 21.
The customer then became “irate,” says the criminal complaint and began throwing “several Snickers bars” at the cashier’s manager. Another employee attempted to intervene as the suspect “caused a scene” and refused to leave the store.
Deputies reviewed the surveillance footage and saw the suspect throwing the candy, which hit the victim in the chest. The officer noted that the act looked “very intentional” and “against the will” of the employee, who was not injured.
The Lakeland man, who appeared “highly intoxicated,” admitted to hurling the chocolate bars, but said he didn’t mean to hit anyone.
The suspect was charged with simple battery and booked into the county jail. He was released a few hours later on $500 bond, according to court records, which say he has no prior criminal convictions.
This isn’t the first violent incident involving candy in Pinellas County. Late last month, a customer close to being checked out at a Family Dollar in Clearwater also ended up arrested after attacking a manager with a lollipop.
