TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A New Taipei man was arrested on Tuesday (Dec. 7) for allegedly assaulting a female convenience store clerk for telling him not to cut in line.
At 12 p.m. on Tuesday, a 7-Eleven in an alley across from New Taipei City Hall was packed with customers. Suddenly, a 49-year-old man surnamed Ma (馬) allegedly jumped in front of others waiting in line for the checkout counter, reported UDN.
A 29-year-old clerk surnamed Chien (簡) then tried to persuade him to go back and wait his turn. Ma, who reportedly suffers from a mental disorder, suddenly became enraged and began hitting Chien on her head, face, and hands.
As there was a large number of customers at the time, several intervened, with one calling for the police while others helped subdue and immobilize Ma. The Haishan Precinct of the New Taipei City Police Department then received a report of a fight at a convenience store on Section one of Zhongshan Road and dispatched nearly a dozen officers.
Police pinned Ma to the ground, placed him in handcuffs, and took him into custody. Paramedics who arrived at the scene found that Chien's injuries were not serious, but they transported her to a hospital for a medical examination, and police will follow up to make arrangements for her to file a report.
Ma was reportedly very unstable after being arrested. While being questioned by police, he ranted and cursed at officers. Police have assisted in assigning him a lawyer as they implement their investigation into the alleged assault.
A recent spate of customers assaulting convenience store clerks across Taiwan over epidemic prevention rules has prompted companies to suggest indirect reminders, while police have been deployed at many stores. In this case, there were no police on hand when the incident occurred.