‘Just get a mask!’ Watch a Florida Walmart greeter and shopper rumble in the aisles
With cases of COVID-19 spiking in Florida, face mask rules are tightening.
But one shopper may have not gotten the memo in Orange County, which issued a mask-wearing mandate on Saturday.
On a Twitter account with the handle @CaliCoCo3, video shows a gray-haired, bare-faced man entering the sliding doors of a Walmart, with a greeter attempting to block his way.
“Sir!” he yells, attempting to get the man to comply.
The individual plows through anyway, then, as he pushes the employee away, slips to the floor.
“Get away from me,” he says.
After he gets up and continues barreling through the store, the worker follows him, points to the door and says, “I need you out!”
The shopper makes it rapidly down a food aisle with the worker in tow as people surrounding him continue to shout. “Hey sir, everybody got a mask, man!” yells a bystander off camera. “Just get a mask!”
Someone even offers him an extra one to wear.
“A spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office told the Miami Herald Monday that the incident happened at Walmart Neighborhood Grocery store at around 7 a.m. Saturday.
“Deputies responded to the Walmart at 5559 Clarcona Ocoee Rd. in response to a disturbance call there,” the agency said in a statement. “By the time deputies arrived, the suspect had left the premises, the victim in the case refused medical attention and the call was cleared.”
A spokesman for Arkansas-based Walmart was aware of what occurred and had reviewed the video.
“Maintaining customer and associate safety remains our top priority,” he told the Miami Herald via email. “We encourage customers to be especially mindful of one another during this unprecedented time and adhere to recommendations and decisions made by local officials regarding the use of protective facial coverings while in public spaces.”
According to CDC recommendations, which many of us have memorized by now: “Everyone should wear a cloth face cover when they have to go out in public” to protect yourself and others. The recommendations also say wearing a cloth face covering in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.”
This story was originally published June 22, 2020 at 4:04 PM.
