Los Angelis: A Target security man was attacked by two people who refused to put on protective face masks inside the shop, according to police.
The incident took place on the morning of May 1st in the Van Nuys neighborhood after 31-year-old Phillip Hamilton and 29-year-old Paul Hamilton were confronted by security for refusing to wear face masks, according to the LA Police Department. It is unclear whether the two men are relatives.
While a guard was walking the two men out of the shop one of them “without provocation, turned and punched” him, which caused them both to fall on the ground, according to a press release.
The guard’s left arm broke in the fall, police said.
“A fight erupted between the two suspects and store employees,” police said.
CCTV footage from the store shows the security guard and two other Target workers escorting the men down the aisle when the fight breaks out.
Two other people run over to stop the brawl.
The two assailants were put under arrest on felony battery charges and are both being held on a bail of $50,000.
LA County officials said last month that the public is required to wear protective masks inside businesses or when coming into contact with other people.
Rules such as these have caused people to become violent in some places in the US.
In Stillwater, Oklahoma, the mayor removed the face mask rule for shoppers after only one day due to numerous threats against retail employees.
It’s May 1, Stillwater, and we’ve entered the first phase of rolling back the drastic measures necessary to slow the spread of the coronavirus, protect our healthcare system, and save lives.
— Mayor Will Joyce #StayHomeStillwater (@stillwaterwill) May 1, 2020
In a number of tweets made two weeks ago, Mayor Will Joyce made an announcement regarding a revision to his emergency declaration requiring shoppers to wear face masks.
“I hate that our businesses and their employees had to deal with abuse today, and I apologize for putting them in that position,” he wrote.
“I am not the kind of person who backs down from bullies, but I also will not send someone else to fight the battle for me,” he added in another tweet.
See ABC7’s report on the story in the video below.
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