SEATTLE — 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.
The video begins with Bobby Dixon trying to re-enter Tweedy and Popp Hardware at Lake City, only to be met at the door by an employee armed with a baseball bat. The recording then shows the two men trading vicious blows after the bat gets knocked away.
“It was actually quite terrifying,” Dixon said. “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 said he and a friend went into the store on Sunday to buy screws. Dixon said he wore a mask while inside the store but his friend didn’t, despite signs posted on the front doors telling customers that face covering were required.
Dixon said right away employees told his friend to mask up or get out. His friend told them he was fully vaccinated. The employees said wearing masks was a store policy, and the situation quickly turned ugly.
“It was a cussing match back and forth between them,” Dixon said.
As his friend turned to go back outside, Dixon headed for the cash register. However, he said the cashier who rung him up was incredibly crude and offensive – to the point that as Dixon walked out – he decided to head back in and complain to the manager. That’s when he was met at the door by an employee gripping a 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.
See video here: KOMO News
Store employees refused to speak to KOMO News about the incident. Thanks Galen Good little sheeples wear a mask!!!
Yesterday a guy was glaring at me in a bimart. He had a mask on. I didnt. I made fun of him out loud to the person I was with and after saying loud enough for him to hear “I bet my concealed pistol will make his head explode” he walked away. I said hi to two managers got some gun oil and I left.
LMAO! Love it! 😀