A California district attorney confirmed that neither of two 7-Eleven clerks who beat down a would-be thief would be charged with any crime.
A cellphone video of the beating went viral on social media, and the clerks' actions were applauded by many who are disgusted and tired of a national epidemic of retail theft.
On Tuesday, the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office said that the clerks would not be charged and that they were never suspects.
“The Stockton 7-11 Store Clerks are not & have never been, suspects of the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office,” said DA Ron Freitas in a statement. “Any Investigation going forward is to hold accountable the individual who threatened & attempted to rob them.”
The five-minute video showed a man dumping numerous products into a garbage can on rollers before two clerks confronted him. At one point in the video, he threatened the clerks and claimed he had a gun. One of the clerks then pinned the man down while the other beat him with a pole until the man was crying for help. Eventually, the clerks relented and released the man rather than call the police.
Law enforcement became involved when the video went viral, and one report said they were investigating the clerks.
Police said that the thief is believed to have robbed the same store twice in the same 24-hour period.
The man recording the incident spoke to KCRA-TV and said that he was trying to de-escalate the situation, but he is worried that police aren't doing enough to stop these crimes.
“We just need to figure out as a community that we have to love each other," said the man, who wanted to be known as Deda. "We have to do better."
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