Grocery workers attack customer on false theft claim

Staff at the Jumbo Supermarket branch at Boutenslaan in Eindhoven roughed up a customer Saturday, after they mistakenly mistook him for a thief. The man has filed a complaint and supermarket management have said they will investigate the incident.

The unnamed 30-year-old Eindhovenaar had entered the supermarket with a bag full of groceries. When he wanted to leave, personnel questioned him about the content of the bag and he indicated to them that he had bought his groceries somewhere else. The workers didn't trust it and demanded to look into the bag; they found a bottle of wine and accused the customer of theft.

When the man said he had enough of the accusations and wanted to leave, workers overpowered him. "They kicked him in the back, took him in a headlock and pushed him on the ground. They also took away his phone. And his glasses were broken," a relative said later. Police were called and the man was taken into custody, but it was quickly released after he proved that he was innocent; he had receipts for his groceries and could show that he had purchased the bottle of wine at Albert Heijn earlier.

Jumbo does not carry that particular brand of wine. Security camera footage also showed that he had not stolen anything and that he did not resist the inspection by the supermarket staff. He has meanwhile filed a police report against the six workers. Jumbo management had announced that it will investigate the incident.