YPSILANTI, Mich. – Ypsilanti police are looking into the case of a woman roughed up by employees at a liquor store.
The altercation that happened at “The Beer Cooler” on S. Washington Street was caught on cell phone video.
Diamond McCaa couldn’t believe what she was seeing inside the store.
“There was a way that they could have taken her out of that store and called the police, closed the doors, locked it, and ended it. But they beat her up,” said McCaa.
In the video, you see the customer, an older woman, throwing what appears to be merchandise before she ends up in a back-and-forth battle between two employees.
At some point, it looks like one of the men wants to use a weapon, that’s until he realizes he’s on Candid Camera.
“The only reason he didn’t hit her with that stick was because he was being recorded. He stopped. That is like very clear that he has aggression in him,” McCaa said.
McCaa posted the video to Instagram, wondering if others shared that same outrage.
As a result, protestors were outside on Monday (Sept. 1) all throughout the day.
“They should not be able to come back to beds after they didn’t do that,” said nearby protestor Chandra Bowyer.
Police confirmed that they’re investigating the incident, but at this point, they can’t confirm whether anyone has been arrested.
Chandra Boywer, who knows the woman, says all she wanted was some food.
“Maybe that lady did want a piece of bread or a sandwich. But y’all slapped her and dragged her out of the store. That was wrong,” said Boywer.
McCaa believes if anyone belongs to face the law, it’s the two employees in the video.
“There are gonna be some people that come on inebriated that are going to be disruptive or destructive. You have a duty to de-escalate,” McCaa added.
The store remains closed at least for now. It’s unclear if anyone will face charges.
"On Sunday, August 31, an incident occurred at a downtown business in the City of Ypsilanti involving violence, which was captured on video and has since been circulated widely.
The Ypsilanti Police Department has opened an investigation into the incident and has conducted interviews with all parties involved.
We are continuing to investigate the incident actively and will prepare a thorough report that will be sent to the Washtenaw County Prosecutors’ Office for review.
Due to the ongoing investigation, the City of Ypsilanti will have no further comments at this time.
Please take care of your own mental and emotional well-being as our community grapples with this incident.
Events like this can stir a wide range of emotions - we encourage everyone to have patience and to care for one another, as we know this community is capable of.
Ypsilanti Manager of Strategic Communications Katie Jones