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It's now a felony in Illinois to assault a retail worker who is enforcing face mask rules

Obviously a first time felony, unless there's extenuating circumstances, would likely get pled down. But it's still a big deal, and should make people think.

Handcuffs and a ride in the back of a squad car will concentrate the mind wonderfully.:mrgreen: No kneeling on anyone's neck, though!
 
This is a court decision waiting to happen, after some Wal-Mart clown thinks this deputizes them to assault a patron for not wearing a mask.

You got it backwards, kiddo. Show me were any Walmart employee has assaulted a customer, ever.
 
Yay! Is it a felony to attack white retail workers for being white?


Horrible but irrelevant. Yet another deflection. Why is it that you guys are sooo incapable of sticking to the topic at hand? Oh I know! It's because you know you got nuttin, so you try to change the subject.
 
Handcuffs and a ride in the back of a squad car will concentrate the mind wonderfully.:mrgreen: No kneeling on anyone's neck, though!
Yep. Ditto for private lawyer's fees, or wondering if you'll have any chance of freedom with a public defender?

I do know that felony cases, regardless of the charge, are far more expensive to defend than misdemeanors.
 
What does the law say in Illinois for when a retail worker while "enforcing" a mask policy uses phyisical force to assault a customer who refused to wear a mask I wonder?

Civil lawyers are going to LOVE this new law in Illinois. Most retail stores have strict policies today against even remotely attempting to stop shoplifters/petty theft. Most retail chains will terminate an employee (other than certain loss prevention agents) who so much as lays a finger on a suspected shoplifter---even ones they observe stealing. And the reason is because of the lawsuits which result after some low brow retail worker feels like playing cop/Rambo while "enforcing policies".

Stores won't even take a stand on people coming into stores with all kinds of pets with them anymore. So now the governor of Illinois wants to encourage some high school drop outs at Wallyworld to "enforce" a mask policy---potentially with force?

If a customer assaults an employee that is one thing. But there has always been laws against that. But if an employee lays hands on a customer first over a mask policy, then good luck in court calling that a battery by the customer. Lawyers are already counting the money on this side show.

I expect that would be classified as an assault if it were to happen. It's good to that you're out there looking into non-events. Show me were that has happened, ever.
 
The law says that the retail worker committed a battery. Happy now?



What, if anything does that have to do with the topic of the thread?



Might I suggest that you take a couple of lessons in "Reading For Comprehension"?



Again, what, if anything does that have to do with the topic of the thread?

The losers are always trying to change the subject.:mrgreen:
 


Are you really going to tell me that standing in front of a person and not touching him is an assault?:lamo:lamo:lamo You really need help. You're further down the rabbit hole than I thought. We'll have to bring in the heave duty digging equipment to get you back into the real world. Say hi to the white rabbit for me.:lamo
 
Are you really going to tell me that standing in front of a person and not touching him is an assault?:lamo:lamo:lamo You really need help. You're further down the rabbit hole than I thought. We'll have to bring in the heave duty digging equipment to get you back into the real world. Say hi to the white rabbit for me.:lamo

That walmart employee isn't a cop. He doesn't have authority to get physical with another citizen.
 
That walmart employee isn't a cop. He doesn't have authority to get physical with another citizen.

He didn't. The stupid customer did. All the employee did was stand there. If you think that's an assault, you're stupider than I thought, which is saying something.
 
That walmart employee isn't a cop. He doesn't have authority to get physical with another citizen.

The customer physically attacked the Walmart employee first it’s called self defense.
 
He didn't. The stupid customer did. All the employee did was stand there. If you think that's an assault, you're stupider than I thought, which is saying something.

The employee absolutely did. He isn't a cop. He can't physically bar someone from entering the store.
 
The employee absolutely did. He isn't a cop. He can't physically bar someone from entering the store.

You're reaching. Pathetic. Walmart is private property. They can require customers to wear a mask or deny them service. They are responsible for providing a safe shopping environment for their customers. That non mask wearing moron was endangering himself and others. Walmart has the right to deny him service and entry into the store under those circumstances. It was that customer who committed assault. Not the employee.
 
You're reaching. Pathetic. Walmart is private property. They can require customers to wear a mask or deny them service. They are responsible for providing a safe shopping environment for their customers. That non mask wearing moron was endangering himself and others. Walmart has the right to deny him service and entry into the store under those circumstances. It was that customer who committed assault. Not the employee.

Walmart is a public place and the emplyees don't have law enforcement authority and cannot assault a customer. If the customer is breaking walmart rules, the employee can call the police.
 
Are you really going to tell me that standing in front of a person and not touching him is an assault?:lamo:lamo:lamo You really need help. You're further down the rabbit hole than I thought. We'll have to bring in the heave duty digging equipment to get you back into the real world. Say hi to the white rabbit for me.:lamo

An assault is an attempted battery. In the Walmart video you posted the Walmart employee is seen using his body to physically block the man attempting to enter. That could be considered an assault. It especially becomes an assault when the employee more than once moves in front of the elderly gentleman and makes contact with him. Further in the video the big idiot Walmart guy actually attempts to grab the arm of the man--- that is a battery. The man was only attempting to enter a retail store open to the public; he wasn't attempting to enter any off limits area like the stock room or the bookkeepers office.

SHOW me where Walmart allows their employees to use physical force to enforce their mask policy? I guarantee that they DON'T have that policy. IN FACT, I am almost 100% certain that Walmart doesn't permit employees to use physical force even with suspected shoplifters. The civil liabilities are not worth taking the chance. In most corporate retail stores today an employee will be TERMINATED if they use physical force. That includes physical intimidation (as seen in your video), or not allowing a person to move freely. Because ONCE a private person (not the same for cops) detains or otherwise prevents a customer from movement, that is actually an arrest by the store employee--- possibly including false imprisonment. Cops can detain you with reasonable suspicion. Private citizens CANNOT detain other citizens. They can arrest them (called private person's arrest) if they observed them commit a crime, but they have no legal right to detain anyone in anyway. Once a private person uses physical force or intimidation to detain another citizen, they have in effect arrested them and are now subject to a possible civil false arrest lawsuit.

Same thing when these stupid Walmart employees try to stop you at the exit to show your receipt. They can ask you, but they can't demand it. And if they block you--- then I would call the police and have them charged with false arrest and false imprisonment.

Besides all that, the elderly gentleman in the video you posted could be cognitively impaired or have another issue. Younger people can be that too---or on the autism spectrum. So some big stupid gorilla Walmart employee who thinks they are hired to act like defense linebacker needs to be fired when they act like the guy in the video you posted. If the employee feels a customer is violating a policy, then call the store manager to the scene. And if the store manager feels the customer needs to leave, and wants to claim the customer is now trespassing--- you call the police. Simple at that.

The employee absolutely did. He isn't a cop. He can't physically bar someone from entering the store.

100% correct. He can ask the customer to comply with the mask policy, he may even have the authority to ask the customer to leave. But I know Walmart corporation is NOT delegating security detail to their low brow front door "greeters"-- that would be idiotic. Even if no crime is committed, even if no one is arrested, the possibility of physical injury and the lawsuits that will follow pretty much dictates the bottom line on this. DON'T touch a customer. DON'T use physical force or intimidation in anyway. Call the cops.
 
An assault is an attempted battery. In the Walmart video you posted the Walmart employee is seen using his body to physically block the man attempting to enter. That could be considered an assault. It especially becomes an assault when the employee more than once moves in front of the elderly gentleman and makes contact with him. Further in the video the big idiot Walmart guy actually attempts to grab the arm of the man--- that is a battery. The man was only attempting to enter a retail store open to the public; he wasn't attempting to enter any off limits area like the stock room or the bookkeepers office.

SHOW me where Walmart allows their employees to use physical force to enforce their mask policy? I guarantee that they DON'T have that policy. IN FACT, I am almost 100% certain that Walmart doesn't permit employees to use physical force even with suspected shoplifters. The civil liabilities are not worth taking the chance. In most corporate retail stores today an employee will be TERMINATED if they use physical force. That includes physical intimidation (as seen in your video), or not allowing a person to move freely. Because ONCE a private person (not the same for cops) detains or otherwise prevents a customer from movement, that is actually an arrest by the store employee--- possibly including false imprisonment. Cops can detain you with reasonable suspicion. Private citizens CANNOT detain other citizens. They can arrest them (called private person's arrest) if they observed them commit a crime, but they have no legal right to detain anyone in anyway. Once a private person uses physical force or intimidation to detain another citizen, they have in effect arrested them and are now subject to a possible civil false arrest lawsuit.

Same thing when these stupid Walmart employees try to stop you at the exit to show your receipt. They can ask you, but they can't demand it. And if they block you--- then I would call the police and have them charged with false arrest and false imprisonment.

Besides all that, the elderly gentleman in the video you posted could be cognitively impaired or have another issue. Younger people can be that too---or on the autism spectrum. So some big stupid gorilla Walmart employee who thinks they are hired to act like defense linebacker needs to be fired when they act like the guy in the video you posted. If the employee feels a customer is violating a policy, then call the store manager to the scene. And if the store manager feels the customer needs to leave, and wants to claim the customer is now trespassing--- you call the police. Simple at that.



100% correct. He can ask the customer to comply with the mask policy, he may even have the authority to ask the customer to leave. But I know Walmart corporation is NOT delegating security detail to their low brow front door "greeters"-- that would be idiotic. Even if no crime is committed, even if no one is arrested, the possibility of physical injury and the lawsuits that will follow pretty much dictates the bottom line on this. DON'T touch a customer. DON'T use physical force or intimidation in anyway. Call the cops.

Total nonsense. Walmart did institute a policy that said that employees should not insist that a customer wear a mask in order to protect it's employees from assaults from customers like this one. Your idiotic definition of assault only reflects on you.
 
You're reaching. Pathetic. Walmart is private property. They can require customers to wear a mask or deny them service.

Sure they can, but they cannot physically enforce that policy--- that would not be reasonable. Walmart isn't a saloon, their door greeters are not 'bouncers'.

They are responsible for providing a safe shopping environment for their customers.

No they aren't, not in this context. A business is wishing to avoid civil liability need to operate in a manner which is not negligent. It isn't Walmart's business to guess who is or who is not infected with covid, but I agree, they can demand people wear masks but it would be impossible for a retail store to know who is or who is not infected. Are they testing their employees daily to make sure their employees aren't spreading covid? NO!

That non mask wearing moron was endangering himself and others.

Do you have proof of that? Was the man disobeying a county health department quarantine order after being found to have been infected? No he wasn't. Hate to break this reality to you, but the presence or not presence of a mask does not determine who is dangerous or safe.

Walmart has the right to deny him service and entry into the store under those circumstances. It was that customer who committed assault. Not the employee.

The Walmart employee over stepped his authority and then physically intimidated the customer. There was no underlying urgency which required the big palooka Walmart a-hole to get physical. BTW, not all people are required to wear a mask anyway. There are people who have medical exceptions. How did the Walmart employee know one way or the other if this man was unable to wear a mask? And here is another thing: Does the Walmart a-hole physically intimidate people who have masks on but not on properly? I'll bet you that a-hole Walmart fool was letting in hundreds of people per hour who were otherwise NOT properly wearing their masks? Where those people a "danger" to everyone too? Did the big Walmart Palooka get in their faces too?

Total nonsense. Walmart did institute a policy that said that employees should not insist that a customer wear a mask in order to protect it's employees from assaults from customers like this one. Your idiotic definition of assault only reflects on you.

Anyone who physically gets into my space and blocks me from walking I consider that an assault.

What is an 'assault'?

Assault: intentionally putting another person in reasonable apprehension of an imminent harmful or offensive contact

Not to be confused with a battery. Which is why it is often described as 'assault AND battery'. The assault comes FIRST; it is an attempted battery.

Battery: a physical act that results in harmful or offensive contact with another person without that person's consent.
 
Fantastic news coming out of Illinois today.



Time to deliver some justice to those who terrorize people who are just trying to save lives. :thumbs:

Criminals ignore laws right? So look for these mask nazi's to get punched out with impunity. Put your hands on me and its 3 O'Clock school bell
 
Total nonsense. Walmart did institute a policy that said that employees should not insist that a customer wear a mask in order to protect it's employees from assaults from customers like this one. Your idiotic definition of assault only reflects on you.

Walmart has since walked back their stance. I go in Walmart here in TN all the time without my mask. Nobody says a word
 
The thread AND the article talks about a new law making it a felony to assault a retail WORKER who is enforcing a mask policy.

Not quite, the "new law" merely advances the category of felony by a couple of notches.

The question I asked was what happens when it is the retail WORKER who initiates a battery while "enforcing" a mask policy? I said: If the customer assaults a retail worker there is already a law against that---- it's called battery. But the same goes true the other way around; if an employee uses physical force to enforce a "policy"-- they may be at risk for criminal liability-- AND more importantly, civil liability.

You asked a question for which I provided the correct answer. It is not so much "may be at risk" as it is "are at risk".

I clearly stated my question and my concerns about this stupid feel good legislation potentially putting retail stores at risk for being to gung-ho in their silly mask enforcement policies.

The law is no more "feel good" than any other law which "advances the category of a felony".

At the heart of the stupidity with this "feel good law" is that not wearing a mask is NOT a life or death matter that requires someone to use physical "enforcement" on a violator by retail workers.

And no one is suggesting that it is.

I'm not debating their right to have that policy-- or to refuse service. And, if a customer refuses to comply they can be sited with trespass. But that would be a police matter in most cases.

Quite right, ANY customer who does not comply with the establishment's rules can be asked to leave and, if they refuse to leave then they no longer enjoy the establishment's consent to enter - at which point their presence could well constitute a "trespass".

Just like with airline workers, you give them an extra ounce of "control" over someone-- and the weak minded will attempt to use that control over people in a typical passive aggressive manner--- generally making matters worse.

Quite right, and, just like airline workers, they will have to face the consequences of their "abuse of authority" and/or "criminal actions".

Anyone who assaults anyone should be arrested.

Which I haven't seen anyone arguing AGAINST.

But going Rambo on some idiot who is playing the opposite card with this silly mask hysteria by refusing to comply is just as bad as the "mask Nazis" attempting to make mask refusal a Federal offense.

Setting aside the inflammatory rhetoric, I agree.

Somebody refuses to wear a mask and it makes you uncomfortable, then just steer clear of them; give them an extra 20 feet. If you are a cashier in a grocery store and the store has a mask policy and a customer refuses to wear one and they come through your checkout lane; just close your register and walk away leaving the mask violator to do what---- other than stand there with nobody to tender their purchase---and eventually leave? Eventually they'll get the point.

Unless, of course, they "go postal"



(or worse) on you because you are "violating their rights".
 
Walmart has since walked back their stance. I go in Walmart here in TN all the time without my mask. Nobody says a word

Good for them.

I wear a mask in areas where I am likely to come within 10' of another person. I do it to protect them by reducing the possibility that they will become infected from me (even though I am pretty damn sure that I am not infected myself). When I see another person wearing a mask in those situations, I assume that they are doing so because they have the same level of concern for other people that I do. When I see another person NOT wearing a mask in those situations I assume that they are NOT wearing a mask because the simply don't give a damn about other people. In neither case do I feel any need to voice my opinion of that other person - in the first case because it isn't necessary and in the second because it would be impolite to tell them what I actually feel about them and would also be useless since such mindless people are seldom amenable to reason.
 
Criminals ignore laws right? So look for these mask nazi's to get punched out with impunity. Put your hands on me and its 3 O'Clock school bell

You do not have the right to commit physical violence against someone who is simply enforcing the rules, no matter how deluded you are to the contrary. Congratulations on making this law's point. :thumbs:
 
You do not have the right to commit physical violence against someone who is simply enforcing the rules, no matter how deluded you are to the contrary. Congratulations on making this law's point. :thumbs:

Put their hands on me and we can debate about it after the beatdown. Maybe you haven't noticed but there are many laws being broke right now in certain areas of the country
 
Put their hands on me and we can debate about it after the beatdown. Maybe you haven't noticed but there are many laws being broke right now in certain areas of the country

Two wrongs don't make a right. If you attack a store worker for simply informing you that you have to put your mask on or leave, you have committed assault and deserve to be prosecuted. :)
 
Two wrongs don't make a right. If you attack a store worker for simply informing you that you have to put your mask on or leave, you have committed assault and deserve to be prosecuted. :)

Are you Joe maybe? Have a reading comprehension problem? I have numerous times said IF..... again.... IF said mask Nazi puts his hands on me it going to be ugly. He can inform all he wants then go back home to his mom's basement.
 
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