A confrontation about a man who refused to wear a mask inside a Seattle hardware store spiraled into violence on Sunday, and the fight that ensued was captured on cell phone footage.
“You’re going to hit me with that bat? You taunt me with that bat?”
Bobby Dixon and a buddy stopped in at the Lake City Ace Hardware store on Sunday. Dixon had on a mask, but his friend who was fully vaccinated did not. When they carried their items to the check-out counter, Dixon claims they were confronted by an employee who wouldn’t allow them to check out till Dixon’s companion donned a mask.
Dixon’s friend explained that the mask was not needed as he was fully vaccinated. Undaunted, the irrational employee demanded he put on a mask or leave. Things went downhill from there as vulgarities were exchanged and the two customers left.
Angry at the unprofessional manner in which they were treated, Dixon decided to go back into the store to get the rude employee’s name so he could report him to the store manager.
“It was actually quite terrifying,” Dixon told KOMO. “I’ve never had anybody come at me with a weapon like that, and it was flight or fight. And I was trying to get out of there, and he kept coming at me super aggressively.”
Dixon says the video shows him trying to reenter the store to talk to a manager about the experience and that’s when he was met by the baseball bat.
“You work in customer service and if you’re going to be rude, I’m going to take your name down and give it to your boss,” Dixon said.
Store employees refused to speak to KOMO News about the incident.
Messages left at the corporate offices of Ace Hardware, which supplies the store, were not immediately returned.
A report was filed with Seattle police and detectives said they are trying to sort out two very conflicting versions of what happened. Police said the employee they contacted claimed neither customer was wearing a mask. Dixon said he did have on a mask while inside, though in the video during the fight, Dixon is not wearing a mask.
According to the police report, the store employee also said he was attacked by both men. In the video, the employee is only seen fighting with Dixon.
“I was following the rules. I had my mask on, so to take it out on me, that’s just kind of childish,” Dixon said.
Watch it here: Fox News/Youtube
Sources: 100 Percent Fed Up, Out Kick, Komo News