Police were called to a Virginia Publix after a customer refused to allow a Black employee to bag her groceries, according to NBC 12. The woman also allegedly tried to run that same employee over with her car as she was leaving the store.
Employees said the customer notified staff that she did not want the employee to bag her groceries because she was African-American. The manager told the worker to walk away and let her bag her own groceries.
“I almost cried. I’m fighting back tears now,” another employee, who asked to remain unidentified, told the outlet. “He proceeded to tell the manager. She said just to walk away and she bagged her own groceries.”
The teen then went outside to collect some of the shopping carts. That’s when the same customer allegedly tried to run the young boy over with her vehicle. Authorities say they aren’t sure if she’s a bad driver or if it was intentional.
“This is a 15-year-old boy and you tried to end his life. You tried to run him over with your car when he did nothing to you and I just don’t see how people can be so hateful to someone that they don’t know,” the employee said.
The worker added, “I hope and pray that Henrico’s finest finds her…It’s outrageous that we have to live in this world and tolerate this…He’s just trying to do his job.”
Publix has released a statement to the outlet saying that they have released the video footage to the police for their investigation.
“The safety and well being of our associates is our priority. We do not condone racism of any form in our stores,” the statement read. “We are cooperating with local law enforcement in their investigation and have provided them with surveillance video.”