Posted on 07/23/2019 10:11:11 PM PDT by TigerClaws
A witness to a heated grocery store encounter between state Rep. Erica Thomas and a man she accused of uttering racist comments told authorities she didnt hear him make those remarks, according to a Cobb County police report.
A Publix employee told a Cobb County officer that she witnessed part of the conversation and heard Thomas continuously tell Eric Sparkes to Go back where you came from! but did not hear Sparkes utter those words to Thomas.In a tearful video, Thomas accused Sparkes of using that phrase, which echoes a tweet by President Donald Trump that sparked a national uproar. Her account quickly went viral and triggered a wave of support and backlash.Sparkes admitted to calling the Democrat an expletive during the run-in, saying he was upset she was at an express aisle in the grocery store with too many items, but he said he didnt tell her to go back to where she came from.Thomas attorney, Gerald Griggs, said the officers report shows the case needs additional investigation because the employee, and another witness who also said he didnt hear Sparkes use the phrase, didnt hear the initial argument.Cobb authorities, meanwhile, said Tuesday they dont intend to file criminal charges in the case after what the police department said was a thorough investigation into the confrontation.Meanwhile, the debate over Thomas account has echoed the political divide. Some liberals declared the run-in a heartbreaking side effect of Trumps rhetoric. And some conservatives cast her as a version of Jussie Smollett, the Chicago actor accused of concocting a racist attack to advance his career.Ignorant
(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...
The video has no audio, for one. Publix hasn’t released the video. The video, if I’m not mistaken, show’s her pointing her finger at the guy and him backing up.
So....she tried to cut the line....she went into hoodrat mode and got in his face...and he was probably a little intimidated by her as she got in his face, b/c he probably wasn’t expecting that kind of reaction.
Either way....neither of the witnesses, as they stated to police, heard everything that was said.
If the store won’t enforce the express lane limit (as Eric Sparkes says he was told by the store manager or customer service person that the store would not), I would not try to enforce it since the store would not back me up.
What would have been funnier (if things didn’t get physical) would have been to see Eric Sparkes launch into a tirade like the Bagel Boss customer up in New Jersey a week or so ago. Another customer would have to record the whole thing and post it to the Internet, of course.
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