McDonalds employee defends himself

[Formaldehyde]

This part I think is irrelevant, as checking big bills is probably standard procedure.

It also depends on how he went about it and what the procedure actually is. This is what likely started the confrontation. A $50 bill isn't all that unusual in NYC, and current technology makes counterfeits highly unlikely.

 

[Quackers]

How many people in NYC pay with $50 bills in MacDonalds?
MacDonalds is not exactly a fat cat eatery.

 

[Formaldehyde]

It's really not that unusual. Neither is a $100 bill these days. The cashiers at Publix constantly ty to give me a $50 bill when I get cash when I buy my groceries.

 

[Silurian]

It's all about disproportionate force. You can't nearly kill someone for slapping you in the face and acting aggressively towards you, especially when you can simply run away.

He moved away from them,
They followed him into the kitchen.

He could have picked up a knife in the kitchen but he chose something that is less likely to cause serious injury.

Where was he supposed to run to in the middle of the night.
Most people would assume it would be safer to stay with their work mates rather than run out into the street and maybe have to deal with more than these two.
.

 

[Formaldehyde]

He could have picked up a knife in the kitchen but he chose something that is less likely to cause serious injury.

Right. A metal rod which he used to repeatedly beat them even when they were on the ground.

Where was he supposed to run to in the middle of the night.

He could have easily run into the manager's office and locked the door if he was that scared of two small women. Instead, he found a dangerous weapon and beat them repeatedly. There were also numerous other employees, all of which appear to be far larger than the 2 women.

I'd say all 3 got what they deserved. The women will face 3 minor misdemeanor charges. And he will likely be put away for a very long time again.

 

[Patroklos]

It also depends on how he went about it and what the procedure actually is. This is what likely started the confrontation. A $50 bill isn't all that unusual in NYC, and current technology makes counterfeits highly unlikely.

I have routinely had $20s checked at fast-food joints and gas stations all along the East coast. I don't findvit odd he checked the bill.

 

[Formaldehyde]

How were they checked and how big of a deal did the cashier make of it?

 

[nivi]

"Well, let's see, I have these 2 people attacking me and no body helping me. I should probably find something to defend myself with, oh that knife would work, but it might kill them, that metal rod would probably do the trick, but it still might be a little much, there are after all only 2 women. That spatula isn't going to be enough, oh here it is! Eureka! The perfect middle ground between too much force and too little, the holy grail of self defense weapons, a broom! "

Needless to say, a person grabs the first thing he sees rather that be all intellectual about it.

 

[Patroklos]

Marker. I have never refused or become indignant about the check, so why would they make a big deal.

If I refused the check, I would expect them to not accept it. If I jumped across the counter I would expect to be shot.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Marker. I have never refused or become indignant about the check, so why would they make a big deal.

If I refused the check, I would expect them to not accept it. If I jumped across the counter I would expect to be shot.

That is the procedure I have usually seen done. And it is done automatically right there on the spot without saying a word about it to the customer.

And that is another excellent example of disproportionate force. I'm sure the appropriate authorities would agree with me.

 

[Patroklos]

Feel free to discussit with them after you are dead. Or perhaps you could just not escalate the situation and allow the check or go somewhere else.

Whether the force used was disproportionate is sort of unimportant to me on one level. The situation that even allowed that to arise could have easily been avoided by those two chicks not being douchers.

 

[Quackers]

Forma why are you interested in how the cashier checked the bill? Does it change anything?

 

[Formaldehyde]

I think it is the gist of the matter. We really don't have any idea what caused the initial confrontation from the video. All we really know is that both McDonalds management and the police think he clearly overreacted. Given how commonplace that $50 bills have become, I think it is quite likely warranted.

I am really surprised that so many people who take such a law-and-order approach are so quick to find fault with the authorities in this matter. Perhaps they should make donations at his Facebook site to try to keep him out of prison for the next 10 years or so.

 

[Synobun]

Didn't watch the video, so my comment is entirely based upon the OP and a few comments I read on the first page.

If you are attacked, you have the right to defend yourself to any extent, barring death unless necessary (home invasion, other person has intent to kill or cripple, etc).

I've worked in a public sector business before and it's common practice for the employer to tell its employees to never fight back on a robbery or an aggressive customer; you should just let them do what they want (be it beat you half to death or rob you blind). This is a terrible practice and it is only put in because the court system is flawed beyond belief.

The world has gotten to the point that you can no longer defend yourself without getting a harsher sentence than the assailant. This is sad, but the law in this case is null. You need to defend yourself or else you lose any dignity and pride you ever had.

 

[Cheetah]

I think it is the gist of the matter. We really don't have any idea what caused the initial confrontation from the video. All we really know is that both McDonalds management and the police think he clearly overreacted. Given how commonplace that $50 bills have become, I think it is quite likely warranted.

As was made clear the last time we discussed one of these incidents, McDonalds (or any other employee like this), will fire anyone who's involved in this. Whether they are defending themselves, intervening in another fight or attacking, they will be fired.

Secondly, I don't believe for a second that if two drunk guys started assaulting a female cashier, jumps over the counter and chase after her, that anyone would put an ounce of blame on her for defending herself with a metal bar!

And as for the argument that he had other coworkers there who could have defended him, it's quite clear that not only are they not lifting a finger to even try to defend him or stop the girls from being on the wrong side of the counter, they're more concerned about him harming them! This guy was all alone and was assaulted by two drunk people.

 

[Formaldehyde]

That's typically what happens to employees when they are charged with serious felonies resulting in the near death of a customer. I really can't blame McDonalds given the quite likely civil suit which will result from this, never mind the negative publicity.

 

[Silurian]

That is the procedure I have usually seen done. And it is done automatically right there on the spot without saying a word about it to the customer.

And that is another excellent example of disproportionate force. I'm sure the appropriate authorities would agree with me.

Do you have any evidence that the money was not scanned with out saying anything.
This is just speculation.
Alternatively
The note was scanned and the machine indicated it was forged or he misunderstood the machines output.

Right. A metal rod which he used to repeatedly beat them even when they were on the ground.

He could have easily run into the manager's office and locked the door if he was that scared of two small women. Instead, he found a dangerous weapon and beat them repeatedly. There were also numerous other employees, all of which appear to be far larger than the 2 women.
.

Was there a manager’s office to run to and lock the door?
Is this is just speculation.
Even if was a manager’s office why do you assume that it was left unlocked with the key in the door.
And even if the key was in the door, and he knew that it was there, it is unlikely that he would have run in there because he would be forbidden to go in there without his boss so he would tend to treat any office as if it does not exist.

The numerous other employees did not stop the two women after they jumped the counter they were spectators. So why should he rely on initially passive spectators.

 

[IglooDame]

I think it is the gist of the matter. We really don't have any idea what caused the initial confrontation from the video. All we really know is that both McDonalds management and the police think he clearly overreacted. Given how commonplace that $50 bills have become, I think it is quite likely warranted.

I am really surprised that so many people who take such a law-and-order approach are so quick to find fault with the authorities in this matter. Perhaps they should make donations at his Facebook site to try to keep him out of prison for the next 10 years or so.

What we do know is that one of the women slapped him, and then both followed him behind the counter.

Those last couple whacks with the bar were questionable IMHO, but I don't have much sympathy for the 'victims' in this case.

 

[Formaldehyde]

But what did he say to them to cause the woman to react like that? That is what I meant by the part you bolded.

And the two women were suitably charged for violating the law, as was the apparently quite dangerous employee.

 

[Silurian]

As was made clear the last time we discussed one of these incidents, McDonalds (or any other employee like this), will fire anyone who's involved in this. Whether they are defending themselves, intervening in another fight or attacking, they will be fired.
.

If the fellow employees knew that they could get fired for helping then that would explain why they did not help.