Black FoodMaxx Hayward Ca. Shopper Harassed, Beaten By Store Manager, Case Of "Shopping While Black" - Oaknews
Black FoodMaxx Hayward Ca. Shopper Harassed, Beaten By Store Manager, Case Of "Shopping While Black"
Black FoodMaxx Hayward Ca. Shopper Harassed, Beaten By Store Manager & Workers In Case Of "Shopping While Black" STEVEN LOUIS JOHNSON, an individual, Plaintiff, vs. SAVE MART SUPERMARKETS, LLC dba FOODMAXX; BENJAMIN MICHAEL COPE; GABRIEL FLORES BECERRA; FRANCISCO LOPEZ OLGUIN; JAVIER TINO COLOREA; and DOES 1–100, inclusive, Defendants. Case No.: PLAINTIFF’S COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES AND DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL 1. Battery 2. Negligence 3. Negligent Hiring, Supervision, and Retention 4. False Imprisonment 5. Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress 6. Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress 7. Premises Liability 8. Malicious Prosecution 9. Violation of Unruh Civil Rights Act (Civ. Code §51) 10. Violation of Business and Professions Code §17200 et seq. UNLIMITED CIVIL CASE GENERAL ALLEGATIONS 10. This case arises from a group beating of an innocent Black man shopping in a grocery store. Four employees surrounded Plaintiff Steven Johnson, forced him to the ground where they beat, choked, and kicked him repeatedly, while calling him racial slurs. The employees then reported to police that Plaintiff was the aggressor, leading to his arrest and prosecution. Nine months later, a jury fully rejected that account and acquitted Plaintiff on every count. This case seeks accountability. 11. On April 13, 2024, Plaintiff entered the FoodMaxx store located at 27300 Hesperian Blvd., Hayward, California, as a paying customer intending to shop for personal and family items. 12. Plaintiff committed no theft, wrongdoing, or unlawful act at any time. 13. While Plaintiff shopped, Defendant Benjamin Michael Cope began shadowing him through the store. Cope collaborated with other Defendants to monitor Plaintiff’s movements. 14. Defendant Cope approached and accosted Plaintiff. He did not identify himself as a store employee. 15. Cope wore no badge, no uniform, and no name tag. To Plaintiff, he was a stranger. At the time, Plaintiff was using a shopping cart and placing groceries into transparent bags, the same as every other customer in the store. Plaintiff had not reached the checkout counters. He was still shopping. 16. Without reasonable suspicion or lawful justification, Defendant Cope accused Plaintiff of shoplifting and treated him like a thief. 17. Plaintiff denied the accusation and attempted to continue shopping 18. Defendant Cope then called Plaintiff a “nigger,” told him to leave the store, and physically interfered with Plaintiff’s ability to continue shopping. 19. Prior to Plaintiff making any physical response, Cope struck him with a shopping cart and approached with balled fists, placing Plaintiff in immediate fear for his safety. 20. Defendants Gabriel Flores Becerra, Francisco Lopez Olguin, Javier Tino Colorea, and DOES approached Plaintiff from behind and joined Defendant Cope in attacking, battering, restraining, and harming Plaintiff. 21. During the course of this assault, Defendants directed racial slurs at Plaintiff, including repeatedly calling him “nigger.” 22. They forced Plaintiff to the ground. 23. They pinned Plaintiff face-down in a prone “starfish” position, with his arms and legs spread and restrained, in a harmful and pain-inducing hold. He could not breathe freely. He could not move. 24. While Plaintiff lay restrained, Defendants applied pressure to his neck, hit him, kicked him, and strangled him. They attacked him from the front, sides, and behind. They hit a man who could not fight back. 25. As a group, four grown men beat, kicked, and choked a single restrained customer on the floor of a grocery store. 26. The force used was excessive, unreasonable, and disproportionate to any perceived threat. Plaintiff was a customer buying groceries. 27. Plaintiff was detained against his will and was not free to leave. 28. Defendants held Plaintiff on the ground until law enforcement arrived. After law enforcement arrived, Defendants provided false, misleading, and/or exaggerated statements accusing Plaintiff of wrongdoing. 30. Based on those statements, Plaintiff was arrested and criminally charged. 31. For the next nine months, Plaintiff was forced to defend himself against criminal charges for a beating he did not start and did not deserve. 32. On January 16, 2025, a jury in Alameda County found Plaintiff not guilty of all charges and determined that he acted in lawful self-defense. More at ZennieReport.com here:
via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yGgEs1XVSg
Black FoodMaxx Hayward Ca. Shopper Harassed, Beaten By Store Manager & Workers In Case Of "Shopping While Black" STEVEN LOUIS JOHNSON, an individual, Plaintiff, vs. SAVE MART SUPERMARKETS, LLC dba FOODMAXX; BENJAMIN MICHAEL COPE; GABRIEL FLORES BECERRA; FRANCISCO LOPEZ OLGUIN; JAVIER TINO COLOREA; and DOES 1–100, inclusive, Defendants. Case No.: PLAINTIFF’S COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES AND DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL 1. Battery 2. Negligence 3. Negligent Hiring, Supervision, and Retention 4. False Imprisonment 5. Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress 6. Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress 7. Premises Liability 8. Malicious Prosecution 9. Violation of Unruh Civil Rights Act (Civ. Code §51) 10. Violation of Business and Professions Code §17200 et seq. UNLIMITED CIVIL CASE GENERAL ALLEGATIONS 10. This case arises from a group beating of an innocent Black man shopping in a grocery store. Four employees surrounded Plaintiff Steven Johnson, forced him to the ground where they beat, choked, and kicked him repeatedly, while calling him racial slurs. The employees then reported to police that Plaintiff was the aggressor, leading to his arrest and prosecution. Nine months later, a jury fully rejected that account and acquitted Plaintiff on every count. This case seeks accountability. 11. On April 13, 2024, Plaintiff entered the FoodMaxx store located at 27300 Hesperian Blvd., Hayward, California, as a paying customer intending to shop for personal and family items. 12. Plaintiff committed no theft, wrongdoing, or unlawful act at any time. 13. While Plaintiff shopped, Defendant Benjamin Michael Cope began shadowing him through the store. Cope collaborated with other Defendants to monitor Plaintiff’s movements. 14. Defendant Cope approached and accosted Plaintiff. He did not identify himself as a store employee. 15. Cope wore no badge, no uniform, and no name tag. To Plaintiff, he was a stranger. At the time, Plaintiff was using a shopping cart and placing groceries into transparent bags, the same as every other customer in the store. Plaintiff had not reached the checkout counters. He was still shopping. 16. Without reasonable suspicion or lawful justification, Defendant Cope accused Plaintiff of shoplifting and treated him like a thief. 17. Plaintiff denied the accusation and attempted to continue shopping 18. Defendant Cope then called Plaintiff a “nigger,” told him to leave the store, and physically interfered with Plaintiff’s ability to continue shopping. 19. Prior to Plaintiff making any physical response, Cope struck him with a shopping cart and approached with balled fists, placing Plaintiff in immediate fear for his safety. 20. Defendants Gabriel Flores Becerra, Francisco Lopez Olguin, Javier Tino Colorea, and DOES approached Plaintiff from behind and joined Defendant Cope in attacking, battering, restraining, and harming Plaintiff. 21. During the course of this assault, Defendants directed racial slurs at Plaintiff, including repeatedly calling him “nigger.” 22. They forced Plaintiff to the ground. 23. They pinned Plaintiff face-down in a prone “starfish” position, with his arms and legs spread and restrained, in a harmful and pain-inducing hold. He could not breathe freely. He could not move. 24. While Plaintiff lay restrained, Defendants applied pressure to his neck, hit him, kicked him, and strangled him. They attacked him from the front, sides, and behind. They hit a man who could not fight back. 25. As a group, four grown men beat, kicked, and choked a single restrained customer on the floor of a grocery store. 26. The force used was excessive, unreasonable, and disproportionate to any perceived threat. Plaintiff was a customer buying groceries. 27. Plaintiff was detained against his will and was not free to leave. 28. Defendants held Plaintiff on the ground until law enforcement arrived. After law enforcement arrived, Defendants provided false, misleading, and/or exaggerated statements accusing Plaintiff of wrongdoing. 30. Based on those statements, Plaintiff was arrested and criminally charged. 31. For the next nine months, Plaintiff was forced to defend himself against criminal charges for a beating he did not start and did not deserve. 32. On January 16, 2025, a jury in Alameda County found Plaintiff not guilty of all charges and determined that he acted in lawful self-defense. More at ZennieReport.com here:
via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yGgEs1XVSg
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