And today in news that makes you wonder just where the America you grew up with went, an Amazon delivery driver is facing charges of sucker-punching an elderly man.
The reason? A dispute over a parking spot.
According to KCRA-TV in Sacramento, the incident happened at an Elk Grove, California, gas station a few months back, but charges were just announced on Tuesday.
On March 30, police say, a 72-year-old man apparently pulled into a parking stall at the gas station. However, according to law enforcement, 30-year-old Amazon driver Terrence Wheeler thought the spot belonged to him.
This was at 3:15 p.m., mind you, and the city of 176,000 people isn’t exactly Manhattan. Nobody should be so desperate for a parking spot as to get into an argument with anyone.
But ensue an argument did.
“Police said Wheeler confronted the elderly man and threatened to attack him. Wheeler then struck the man on the side of his head as the man was walking past Wheeler. The man fell to the ground,” the station reported.
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While the incident happened months ago, the video just went viral earlier in the week:
WARNING: The following video contains violent footage that some viewers will find offensive.
The video was posted by trial lawyer Tony Buzbee, who called the man his client and identified him as 71 years old.
“During his work day, he stopped at an ARCO Gas Station in Elk Grove, California to go to the bathroom and get a soft drink,” Buzbee said on Instagram.
“Apparently, the Amazon driver felt that our client took his parking spot. The Amazon driver reacted hyper aggressively. The Amazon driver confronted our client in the parking lot, followed him into the store, and ultimately assaulted him from behind. Our client is currently being treated for neck pain as well as a concussion.”
Upon learning about the assault, police were able to identify Wheeler, who turned himself in later on Tuesday and ended up being booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail, where he apparently still is.
He’s being held on charges of felony elder abuse, felony criminal threats, and misdemeanor battery. One hopes that if he’s found guilty, he spends a long, long time in prison. There’s no excuse for sucker-punching a poor old man, especially over a parking spot.
He next appears in court on Sept. 24. Meanwhile, he might have bigger problems in the form of a $10 million lawsuit from the Buzbee Law Firm.
“We believe the Amazon driver has a history of violence,” Buzbee said in his post, indicating a suit may be coming against the e-commerce giant.
“Amazon delivery folks must be carefully screened and trained. Amazon must do better in the hiring process. When Amazon fails, like here, it must be held accountable.”
If this is indeed true, judging by what we’re seeing here, Wheeler won’t be the last entity hearing from Buzbee’s law firm.
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