Shay K.
Yelp
I was a assulted and viciously pepper sprayed in the back all because when this plain clothed man approached me while I was walking out after getting a few grocery items. I didn't fully understand what he was implying or why he kept saying "I just want stuff back." I thought did I accidentally take this man's groceries? How would that even be possibly? I kept asking him to explain to me what stuff? All of a sudden something in this man snapped. He started cursing at me, yelling profanities and getting into my face saying I have an attitude. I start to realize this man is some kind of undercover security? I start to say to him sir, why are you so angry? Sir, I'm trying to cooperate with you, and I am willing to do whatever is needed for this to be resolved. Sir, you need to back away from me and stop yelling at me, you're making me uncomfortable. The man is getting more and more enraged and mad. A small crowd of people start to watch, I remember seeing these too men start to come over to try and help me, but this man pulls out his pepper spray and starts to wave it up and down, like he was gonna use it. On me? On other customers? Why? This man is out of his mind. Im starting to get more and more anxious. He keeps yelling profanities at me saying over and over "I just want my stuff back." Making me even more confused. Then out of nowhere after I said "call the police, I will wait here for them so we can get this resolved." He lunged at me and forcibly grabbed my arm with my purse and yanking me towards the revolving door so hard that my purse completely snapped, breaking both straps, and throwing me backwards onto the ground as my now broken purse and I fall to the ground I think to myself "so where is all this supposed stolen items of his stuff?" Wouldn't all this "stuff" be falling out during this assult? He used enough force to break my purse and make me fall to the ground, my wallet and my vape were in there! I wasn't going to let him take that! At this point I am shaking, crying, and asking him "why are you doing this to me? The 2 men I saw earlier were still there and they kept trying to stop this man from.hurting me. I remember them saying to.him "bro, stop! Bro that's not right " and looking at me with such remorse. They couldn't do anything without possible getting pepper sprayed. I get up from the ground, shaking he is cornering me, pacing back and fourth hovering me and getting into my face and waving his pepperspray. I just wanted to get away from this obviously disturbed man with a God complex who hates woman who have a voice and who stand up for their rights. My shopping kart with Mt groceries got in-between us, and I see an exit, I take it, with only seconds to react, the police were taking too long, and I was scared of what this man would do to me next. I run leaving my groceries behind. At this point im only thinking "get as fR away from him as possible, then call 911. But withoit hesitation he then peppersprays me in the back of my head. I don't realize how badly he got me. That means he was running after me. I can see my fiancé car and all I want to do is get there and get safe. This man was capable of anything at this point. Then, it starts. The most agonizing, excruciating , unbearable pain. I.cant even remember every feeling this much pain. What I now realize when I was running away from hi, he unleashed a massive amount of pepper spray onto the back of the head all over my hair, which was in a long ponytail. All it took was for my hair to.sqep.across my face.
I never ever yelled at this man, nor scream profanities, i.didnt call.him names, I didn't threaten him, put him down, act inappropriate or uncooperative. And no, I did not steal anything nor take any of his 'stuff." My only crime was allegedly taking cat food cans. Lol yes 89 cent cat food cans. And that they "saw me in the cat food isle on video acting suspicious." Okay so Valarta has barley any cat supplies let alone any food. I have my own buisness in pet care, ive worked as a veterinary assistant for 7 years in the bay area, and after living here in fresno now 3 years ive taken upon myself to help feed the community cats in my neighborhood as im a member of alleycat allies. Anyway, my point to all this, having a few cans of wet cat food, or a baggie of dry cat food was not unusual for me. I usually keep some in my purse becsusr when i get hom from work,errands etc, i will feed the cats. Makes it easy because I have my purse with me anyway, so sometimes I'll not feed them all of the can and a couple will stay in my purse til next time I feed them.
Okay so, cops came, ambulance came (twice) I was in so.much pain. It was almost embarrassing but i.was panicking. It was raining, and i.was.beong doused with iv drip saline bags to wash off the peper spray, i.kept screaming for someone, anyone, get me milk! I had BOUGHT some and it was in the shoping cart. I never got the milk. But I did get a ticket for petty theft of $1.79.