McDonalds employee defends himself

[CommonKnowledge]

The bill wasn't counterfeit.

Unless I'm missing something the OP specifically stated that:

"The argument was over the counterman scanning a counterfeit 50 dollar note and then refusing to serve the two assailants."

 

[Methos]

Apparently, only one of the women "attacked" him by slapping him.

I couldn't tell if the woman who slapped him was the one that jumped over the counter or ran around the counter, but either doesn't matter. While I agree that I was mistaken in my choice of words, both actions, jumping over the counter and running around behind the counter, is an aggressive action.

If he had stayed at the cash register instead of seeming to go get a weapon and then immediately return, she may very well have never chased after him.

This is a bad argument, as it could easily be countered by had she not slapped him, then he would have never gone to get a weapon.

Either way, it was bad choices all around.

Someone mentioned that the weapon used isn't that strong, or implied as such. The problem I have with that is due to the way it was swung and that it did fracture her skull, I tend to think it was rather strong since it doesn't appear to have bent under such stress.

You just can't continue to strike people like that when they're on the ground, unarmed and defenseless.

"They were trying to get up" is not an excuse and I'm surprised at the number of people on here who think it is.

I agree. The idea is to stop the attack, or threat, against you. At the point they're on the ground that threat doesn't exist, assuming they don't have a weapon. Back off, call the cops and ambulance.

 

[Quackers]

You just can't continue to strike people like that when they're on the ground, unarmed and defenseless.

"They were trying to get up" is not an excuse and I'm surprised at the number of people on here who think it is.

I disagree, if somebody slaps you, you should be able to break both there arms.

 

[NickyJ]

FEAR KEEPS THE PEONS IN LINE

That sounds like an unpleasant state of mind to live in.

Nah, it's more like common sense keeps the people in line. I mean, what do you expect when you're attacking someone?

Using a metal rod isn't self defence. It's sadism.

Hey, glad to hear that you can take one two people at once with your bare hands.

 

[Zelig]

Nah, it's more like common sense keeps the people in line. I mean, what do you expect when you're attacking someone?

I expect to win the fight.

 

[REDY]

Any physical defence againist unarmed women when you are male is overeaction. If this would be men, no problem.

 

[Elta]

It hasn't occurred to you that they could be carrying knives?

 

[Skwink]

It hasn't occurred to you that they could be carrying knives?

Or glocks.

 

[Bugfatty300]

They could be carrying anything but if they don't actually produce something then you really don't have much leeway in assuming they're armed.

If there were extenuating circumstances, for example if they where breaking into your house in the dead of night or accosting you in a dark alley, etc it would be a different story.

But getting into a slappy hissy fight in a McDs doesn't really meet the conditions of "reasonable fear for life and limb" which would justify the use of a deadly weapon (metal rod). IMHO.

 

[Zelig]

It hasn't occurred to you that they could be carrying knives?

They could be carrying explosives under their clothing.

 

[Tee Kay]

Overreaction, perhaps, but this is undoubtedly self-defence.

 

[Mr. Dictator]

Really, we're all going off a very shaky video, only showing a portion of the event, mostly hidden by a counter and other people, and a few articles that detail others' view of the video and after the fact reporting.

No one is ever going to know who was right, or wrong, fully, unless we agree on a hypothetical "best idea" of the actual turn of events.

 

[Patroklos]

I am curious why Forma thinks fifties are common, there is a reason ATMs almost universally make you withdraw in multiples of 20.

 

[Mr. Dictator]

I am curious why Forma thinks fifties are common, there is a reason ATMs almost universally make you withdraw in multiples of 20.

Considering they exist, there's many ways to get them. Off the top of my head, you could cash a check from your workplace at a place like a convenience store, and get a few.

 

[Patroklos]

He said common, compared to the twenty they might as well be non existent. Especially if you include credit. In any case, the idea that they should not be checked for counterfeiting is absurd when many shops check twenties.

 

[dirtyparrot]

Whether the bill is counterfeit or not is irrelevant.

Imo, it was excessive force around the part of when the other employees tried to stop him. I would have had no problem, if he had fractured their skull or even killed them in the initial defence or grabbed a knife instead of a metal rod. At that point in time, he didn't know whether they had weapons or not and has a legit reason to fear for his safety. But, once you have them pretty much subdued and you keep striking someone, that is excessive.

 

[Narz]

You won't see some **** like this go down at a health food store. The customers were dumbasses but the worker went overboard. Personally my weapon of choice would have been hot fryer oil. Attack me and get your face bubbly for life biatches!

 

[7ronin]

Several points. The cashier's prior criminal record is irrelevant and may not be mentioned at his forthcoming trial. The fact that the two assailants were women is also irrelevant. Women can be just as dangerous (and deadly) as men. Compare this incident with the recent McDonald's assault in Baltimore. The law is gender neutral. The idea that it was an "unfair" fight because it was a man against two women is ridiculous. Tiffany Startz, a Joliet, Illinois woman, killed a man with one punch last year. Is the rod something which the cashier had brought into the restaurant or is it just the first thing which came to hand when he started to defend himself? What was the rod made of? What was his state of mind when the women began their assault? Very important and something which the media has overlooked. I often pay for purchases with fifty dollar bills and the merchants always check them. Could the cashier have fled his attackers? Was there anywhere for him to go? His legal position would be better if he had let them back him into a corner and then defended himself? We can't see the woman on the floor so we don't know what she was or wasn't doing. Once that flee or fight adrenalin rush kicks in it is difficult to stop. Keep in mind that this entire incident was initiated by the two women. My guess is that the DA will refile lesser charges against the cashier or that the case will be closed with a plea agreement to lesser charges.

 

[Zelig]

I am curious why Forma thinks fifties are common, there is a reason ATMs almost universally make you withdraw in multiples of 20.

Eh? The ATM I usually use dispenses fifties whenever it can.

 

[Narz]

I've lived in eight states in the US and never got anything higher than a $20 out of one.