PARKER, Colo. (KDVR) — A Parker Police Department incident report is providing more details surrounding a violent confrontation over the King Soopers mask policy.
Police are searching for the female suspect who was caught on camera slapping a grocery store worker in the face at the King Soopers location near South Parker Road and E-470.
“Just a sign of the times … it’s a crazy time,” a customer said Wednesday.
The store told police a customer was asked to wear a mask. Instead, surveillance video shows the woman slapping the employee. The victim told police she was also called a vulgar name.
“To slap somebody is beyond the pale,” another customer told FOX31.
The confrontation happened Feb 3. The worker told police the suspect is “a regular at the store” and had been repeatedly told to wear a mask, according to a police incident report.
During the incident, the suspect allegedly claimed a medical exemption, the report noted. The worker told police she offered other options for the customer to buy groceries. The suspect has not been seen at the store since running off last week, according to police.
The employee told police the slap did not hurt, but she is pressing for the customer to be charged with harassment.
FOX31 spoke to the worker via phone on Wednesday. She did not want to talk on the record for this story.
FOX31 reached out to King Soopers for a statement and have not received one.
Anyone who recognizes the woman is asked to contact Parker police.
Kim Cordova, president of the local United Food and Commercial Workers Union, issued the following statement:
“Grocery workers are Essential Heroes and have been on the frontlines during this entire pandemic at great personal risk. They deserve to work in safe environments but unfortunately that hasn’t been the case. They often deal with customers who refuse to wear masks, overcrowded stores, and stores that lack appropriate and adequate cleaning supplies, among other dangers to their personal safety. To avoid assaults by customers in the future, employers need to provide paid qualified security guards at stores.”