What Is Happening At Boston Grocery Stores? A Brawl Broke Out At A Market Basket Grocery Store Over The Weekend When Employees Tried To Stop Shoplifters From Stealing Lobsters, Steaks, and Truffle Butter. A Week Prior, A Shopper Assaulted Store Employees and Then Purposely Clogged The Toilet In Her Holding Cell
NBC Boston - Two women are facing a series of charges after they allegedly tried to steal high-priced items like lobster, steak and truffle butter from a Market Basket store in Massachusetts and then assaulted employees when they were confronted about the thefts.
This weekend's incident was caught on video.
"She cracked him hard with that cellphone, right in the face," said Jeff Cuddy, who filmed the altercation. "And the guy was respectful and responsible, and he just let it go."
Further investigation revealed that an employee had seen two women concealing items like lobster meat, prime ribeye steaks and truffle butter in a bag while shopping. The women didn't pay for the items at checkout and were then confronted by an employee.
The two women became argumentative, screamed obscenities and assaulted two store employees, according to police.
They were both taken into custody by police without further incident.
What the hell is going on out here is right Vince.
First, we got fights breaking out at Bass Pro Shops of all places -
and now we're brawling at Market Basket???
I know Market Basket isn't in Wegman's league, but whenever I am back home visiting family and need to make a grocery run, I'm always impressed by them. They still seem like they're closer to higher-end than "budget friendly". Unless I'm crazy?
The guy who caught it all on camera was just as surprised -
And it appears this isn't an isolated incident either.
Just days prior, this beauty queen from Tewksbury threw bows with store employees, and then dropped major heat in her holding cell, over-flowing the toilet.
Boston 25 News - A drunken Massachusetts woman accused of assaulting Market Basket workers and police officers in a profanity-riddled rampage intentionally clogged the toilet in her holding cell after she was arrested earlier this week, authorities said.
Kristin Hartman, 54, of Tewksbury, was arraigned Tuesday in Lowell District Court on charges including disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, two counts of assault and battery on a police officer, operating under the influence of liquor, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (shod foot), vandalizing property, assault and battery, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (shopping cart), the Tewksbury Police Department announced Wednesday.
Officers responding to a report of a woman "yelling, swearing and causing a disturbance" at the Market Basket at 1900 Main Street in Tewksbury just before noon on Tuesday found Hartman at the customer service counter, according to police.
A review of store surveillance video revealed Hartman had allegedly pushed one Market Basket employee and hit another with a shopping cart while hurling profanities.
It’s further alleged that Hartman struck a Tewksbury sergeant with her hand and kicked another officer “while resisting arrest.” After she was eventually subdued and taken into custody, police say she caused another scene at police headquarters.
“Upon being booked at the Tewksbury police station, Hartman continued to scream expletives and intentionally clogged the toilet in her holding cell with paper products” the department wrote in a statement.
Police noted that Hartman was under the influence and had driven to the store.
Hartman was released on personal recognizance on the condition that she abstain from drinking alcohol, have no contact with victims in the case, and stay away from Market Basket.
Before you pass judgment on Hartman for her antics, let me just say that clogging your holding cell toilet is a power move. That sends a message to not just the law, but also anybody who could potentially give you trouble in the clink that you are not to be trifled with. I'm guessing this wasn't Kristin's first rodeo.
But that said, you can't go to the grocery store and start hurling obscenities at the workers and ramming them with your shopping cart. That's against all the rules, written and unwritten.
Before we know it, Market Basket is going to have bouncers out front at the entrance saying who can come in and who can't. Then nobody is going to be happy. And frankly, they should operate like a nightclub or a bar. Because if you've ever been in one, you already know- the music they play is fucking FIRE. It's like a known and talked about thing in Massachusetts. How great the music always is at Market Basket. There's even a bunch of playlists people have created on Spotify dedicated to it. Here's my #1.
