Incident at Walgreen in Ashtabula-OH at 4:05 pm on Sunday, May 21st 2017
I had purchased a 22-oz. can of Sprite from the BP-gas station in Ashtabula-Ohio at around 4:00pm on Sunday May 21st.2017. I got in line and paid the $1.19 and tax which totaled $1.23 with tax. I handed the two caucasian female cashiers of the BP-store with a One-hundred dollar bill and I received $98.77 cents change. I had accidentally not asked for a receipt of my fully paid soft-drink. I then crossed the street over to the corner Walgreens to get my wifes meds before I entered the store, I had my umbrella and my paid soda in my right hand visibly opened at all times. I took a sip outside the store and out of the corner of my left eye noticed a silver Acura, and thought what a nice vehicle. I then entered the store and walked in the front entry way and saw a white-caucasian lady at the nearest register with a little boy. I then walked behind them over to the magazine section and noticed there were no magazines that I was looking for; a car magazine I was searching. I then noticed nothing of interest and walked out; about 3-minutes or less was the total time. I then exited the store with my opened Sprite can still in my right hands and blue umbrella in my left. I made a right turn in front of the store doors and noticed the clean, new silver Acura again thinking I should have bought it instead of my BMW which I had many expensive problems with. I also noticed the elderly white lady seated in the passenger seat staring at me. I then took a sip of my sprite and continued on my walk down the side walk towards the Ashtabula Public Library. I then heard a loud shouting echoing behind me and I heard a, Hey, You stop! I then turned around and pointed at myself surprised and said to myself who me? I then walked down towards the Walgreens and said to the Black-African American gentleman with no fear or hesitation because of my background training and inquired are you speaking to me? He then stated that Walgreens said that I stole the Sprite from their store. At this point, because of the false accusation and my character and integrity should be challenged and my honor being questioned I was a bit irritated and stated to him, who was accusing me of having stolen the soda? He then told me that he was the store clerks boyfriend or friend and that he was told to come question me and confront me. Basically, he made a citizens arrest with zero connections nor authority figure or employee of Walgreens store. I then was doubly irritated because he was a non-employee nor worker addressing me in this manner. Then the Walgreens employee came outside (a white-caucasian blonde female about 5,5 175lbs. or so) and told me that a customer had accused me of stealing a can of Soda from the Walgreens store. I stated Who is accusing me of stealing or theft? She said a white lady accused me. I then stated the elderly lady from the silver Acura? Her answer was then vague and said a lady. I then entered the Walgreens with the blonde employee, the African American gentleman and then a Blonde manager with an accent was there. I stated to her that I did not steal the soft-drink from their store at any time, that I had walked in with it, and that I walked out with it having paid for it in full at the BP-gas station across the street. Then I saw the older caucasian-white Store security guy; and I asked from where did I steal this soda from? I saw two coolers full of Bottled coke products. I did not know there was another cooler, the first blonde employee told me the coolers were in the back; and I replied that I did not know where they were and I had not gone back there and for them to check their recent video-recordings. The Blonde manager said with an accent that they had a robbery that occurred in their store location earlier that morning. I said who was or what did the perpetrator of that robbery look like? She told me that I didn't fit that description of a 6,4 White male with a black hoodie. No I said, I guess not coming from a 5,7-Asian man with jeans and dark gray jacket and umbrella. She then said that everyone was jumpy because of the robbery earlier in the day that had nothing to do with me. I then walked out miffed and irritated and headed towards the library again. Everyone who worked there were rather flippant about the horror of the accusation of a perfectly innocent man. I find out later on FB-face book about Ashtabula that a local Librarian woman was married to a man who had sexually assaulted, raped, and killed a thirteen year old girl; a White man, from Ashtabula Library and I get questioned about a Sprite? I then thought I should cover my derriere and returned to the local, corner BP gas station and i respectfully requested a proper receipt that stated the 22-oz. Sprite was paid in full at their store location and they wrote me a proper receipt, made a phone call to the Walgreens clearing me of any type of theft accusation and told them to call them w read more
