[Closed] Should I call the cops?

should 'they' have not called the Police???

Indeed, it's their actions that bother me more than his given that there wasn't a lot to the punch.

They should have called the police in that instance otherwise they're an accessory aren't they? Bad form if you ask me. If that had happened to me I would have kicked off and probably called the police there and then reporting both the man and the shop. At least that way you have a clear time of day so that cctv footage can be seen.

Grab some zip ties, tie him up to a shelf and call the police 🙂

Obviously wasn't much of a punch if you were able to push past him and run round the aisles.

I take it you haven't much experience of people with mental health problems and the fact that the staff were not concerned makes me wonder if you overreacted just a smidgin ?

By all means report it to the police but I would be very surprised if they were not well aware of this chap.

Edit ps. sorry but the way you have written the account has made me giggle.

and own him with some bombers ck? 😉

Woody, I take your point but what if verses had a delicate heart problem.. has been known to happen that people have died from the lightest touch! They may be aware of him but if verses wants to make a formal complaint then they have to act upon it.

+1 with woody. The guy obviously has mental health problems. Then again, I've been a psychiatric nurse for twenty five years, so perhaps I have become a little blase about these things. If he didnt physically hurt you, I wouldnt worry too much about it, and the staff in the shop are obviously used to him.

I would have swiped something off the shelf for my trouble and left it at that.

I'd have put some Dennis Pennis style windmills together and beaten the living shit out of him. Then finished off the cocks behind the counter, then nicked a few hundred Lamberts and a some clipper lighters. That'd show them not to mess with you.

I have just returned from my local Londis Store ({address removed}) where I was assaulted by a politician who was then defended by the staff in the shop.

On approaching the store I was aware of a person in front of me who was muttering incoherently to himself, other than this, there had been no interaction between us at all. He entered the store ahead of me and as soon as he was inside he turned around and punched me in the stomach. I pushed my way past him further into the store and asked him what he thought he was doing, he incoherently babbled at me but proceeded to approach me again. I evaded him around the shelves and shouted to the shop keepers what had happened, they just smiled and told me that he was OK and not to worry about it. The other person continued to approach me aggressively, I once again appealed to the staff to do something however they continued to defend his actions. At this point I left the store whereupon he followed me for a short distance and continued to shout at me.

As the punch was fairly mild, I am currently undecided whether to raise this minor assault with the police or not. However, as I'm sure you can understand it is the actions of your staff that concern me the most. The way they interacted with him indicated that they knew the man in question quite well, either as a friend or a regular customer. For the staff actively defend the actions of the assailant is appalling and other than to let them know how displeased I am, I shall not be returning to that store.

[b]Poor old Gordon Brown how the mighty have fallen[/b]

I'm not sure how I can be accused of overreacting... A complete stranger punched me with no provocation at all, and at the time my only reactions were to;
a) tell him to F-off while walking away from him as he repeated approached me in a confrontational way.
b) ask the staff to do something about it.

I personally don't feel it needs police involvement but others have suggested it does, which is why I asked for more opinions.

I can see why the writing style raised a giggle, but I seem to fall into formal writing mode when writing such things.

Disgruntled of Tunbridge-Wells

deadly - am I to assume that you've already been for that 'ride' with ton?

As above a few posts, probably someone with mental health issues (not that that means they are not possibly a danger), you could have been a pregnant woman etc, I'd have hoped the sthop staff would have helped out a bit (though I dont think it's their "duty" to do something, they're just members of the public like you are). I'd have spent more time discussing it with the shop staff as they obviously know of him, and think a little more about the guy who obviously has some serious issues to deal with.

My first thoughts were that he was pissed, he seemed to be staggering and slurring, but as you say it could well be mental health issues.

Either way, the staff clearly knew of him and had plenty of chance to explain it to me, it took place over a couple of minutes.

Keep going down there, next time you see him punch him in the stomach. See what the staff say then.

Whether someone's mentally ill or not, if they go round punching people at random then yes, i think the police should be informed. What if he punched a kid instead?

barnsleymitch - Member
deadly - am I to assume that you've already been for that 'ride' with ton?

😆
No, not yet mate. Just getting into the frame of mind though. Pity that one got shut down...it was great fun.

So they knew that he'd punched you? Not sure what I would have done in your situation - I think I may have reacted physically if I thought another punch coming but depends on how much of a threat he seemed. I'd assume either drunk of mentally ill so probably just keep my distance.

Go back and ask the shop people about him.

It's common assault and even if he has 'problems' it's the police's job to decide what action to take if any, I'd report him.

Without scaremongering that fact that it was only a mild punch this time doesn't mean he's not going to progress.

A ha a chance to shine 🙂

This is exactly what I deal with every day as a business crime coordinator specialising in retail premises.

Yes you should report it to the Police as it counts as ASB and assault (if they want to run with it). If the individual has issues then these need to be referred and dealt with as this type of behaviour is unacceptable. He may not have injured you too much as a fit average age man, however if it had been an elderly lady or a child the matter would be quite different. I would regard this as a trigger offence for further actions.

If it was one of my cases and the staff of a store acted this way I’d be looking at their alcohol licence and considering their suitability to retain it.

Then again, I've been a psychiatric nurse for twenty five years, so perhaps I have become a little blase about these things.

I just have this image of you running up and down the aisles shouting at the staff "HELP! HELP! detain the babbling assailant with great haste my good fellow lest he smite me once more"

Sorry [img] /person-smiley-1109.gif[/img][img] /happy-smiley-575.gif[/img]

I'm with finbar, what if it had been someones kid, or what's to say he wouldn't stop at hurting a baby? Report it, mental issues/drunk or not, it's just not acceptable.

Again, I second what woody said, and can only apologise if I appeared to be making light of your situation. However, you have stated twice that the punch was fairly insignificant, so perhaps involving the police would be a bit of a waste of time. Having said that, it might be worth trying to raise your concerns with whichever community mental health team are involved with this chap (presuming he does have mental health problems and is known to local services). Maybe go back to the shop and discuss this with the staff there, as judging from your original post, it would appear that they already know / know of the guy.

Whether someone's mentally ill or not, if they go round punching people at random then yes, i think the police should be informed. What if he punched a kid instead?

+ 1

its unacceptable, imo, regardless of their situation.

I would 50/50 call the police. I would 100% get shirty with the shop staff.

They should have called the police in that instance otherwise they're an accessory aren't they?

What if he punched a kid instead?

WON'T SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!?!?!?

Surely it is not the staffs responsibility to defend customers?

, I take your point but what if verses had a delicate heart problem

[i]I'd have put some Dennis Pennis style windmills together and beaten the living shit out of him. Then finished off the cocks behind the counter, then nicked a few hundred Lamberts and a some clipper lighters. That'd show them not to mess with you. [/i]

+1

quote]deadlydarcy - Member
I'd have put some Dennis Pennis style windmills together and beaten the living shit out of him. Then finished off the cocks behind the counter, then nicked a [b]few hundred Lamberts and a some clipper lighters.[/b] That'd show them not to mess

Like the finer things in life do we? 😆

And now the over-reaction starts. He's already said (twice) that the punch was insignificant, and the fact that the staff in the shop didnt react would suggest that they've probably seen it all before. I'm not suggesting that the bloke's completely harmless, but the 'what if he starts to carry a knife' comments are just scaremongering.
PMSL at konabunny.

Report, let the Police review the shop CCTV and decide what action is required...

It was indeed a light punch, I'm totally unharmed, it was more the continued aggression from no provocation that riled me.

My problem with the staff isn't that they didn't react, it's that their reaction was to just smile and tell me that he's fine and nothing to worry about at the same time as he was "coming after" me.

They also interacted with him in the way friends do rather than how a shop keeper would with a customer they knew.

[img] [/img]

On balance I would probably report it. I would also return to the shop and ask them WTF was going on.

Sounds like mental health issues to me.

community police are the way forward with manging/tracking incidents for issued you do not want to trouble the police with. this sort of info is useful as they may have a file already and it helps build up a picture the of the persons activities. Talking to them on the phone or via email only takes a few minutes and will help serve your community as he could well do it again to someone who was less fortunate than yourself.

They can also have a "word" with the shop who may well need guidance as to how to help, imagine they have to deal with him daily and the abuse, its easy to see why the did not want to make something of it.

Its not scare mongery, its about helping to protect your community

How would you feel if he harms someone in the future and you didn't warn anyone?
I'd send the mrs to the shop in future 😀

If someone lays a finger on you in an agressive manner, lay him out as quickly as possible, ideally with a headbutt as he punches you! The lesson Ive learnt in life is that noone will look after you, you gotta be able to look after yourself. Police will be as much use as a chocolate fireguard as usual, whereas a broken nose might make him think twice about who he picks on next time.

"whereas a broken nose might make him think twice about who he picks on next time."

whereas if he is mentally ill it'll have no effect (other than physical injury) because he's not in control of his actions.

Think I would ask questions later and chuck a pringles tube down his throat-in self defence...find him in ice cream freezer.

Report it, he's a dangeer to frail ppl.

And a headbutt puts you at risk of prosecution. You are only allowed to use reasonable force to defend yourself

He shouldnt be out on the street then. The teaching him a lesson part is secondary to protecting yourself, and the best defence is a good offence as they say

scottyjohn:
If someone lays a finger on you in an agressive manner, lay him out as quickly as possible, ideally with a headbutt as he punches you! The lesson Ive learnt in life is that noone will look after you, you gotta be able to look after yourself. Police will be as much use as a chocolate fireguard as usual, whereas a broken nose might make him think twice about who he picks on next time.

🙄

should have put the nut on him - self defense you see.. Mental illness or not you're entitled to defend yourself and go about your daily business without being hasseled (sp)

lloks like i was beaten to it..

headbutt is entirely reasonable - got off guard bags in hand - quick reaction fearing for your life - always stick to that line and you've no problems..

my first reaction would be to get away from the attacker and assess the situation.

this is what the OP did, established the bloke was clearly not the full quid, and got out the way of further harm.

Who's to say he doesn't have a foot long knife in his coat?

Can I just point out that I wasn't expecting help from the staff. I was more assuming that they wouldn't want a violent and aggressive person in their store attacking their regular customers... It appears I was wrong...

No don't call the cops technically he assaulted you but the staff seem to know him and think he is harmless . If you report him he faces arrest and detention for a lengthy period before a mental health team turn out to assess and say no grounds for admission to hospital , the shop face someone trying to remove the alcohol license. All this because some one with mental health problems acts a bit odd in a store where the staff show him some respect and tolerance. It seems safe to assume that if he went ape the staff would act. thanks to Thatcher we have a large number of people being neglected in the community we owe it to them to try to accommodate their difficulties and in the absence of a better care system only intervene when absolutely necessary.

Even if the guy has mental health issues then something it should be reported because, unlike the original poster, most people will respond in kind if someone throws a punch at them. For his own safety the chap needs to be sorted out and/or kept out of harms way.

I'll buy 60 Lamberts and a black clipper lighter if you've still got any.

thanks to Thatcher

You do realise that it's now about 20 years since Thatcher was PM? Was there something stopping NuLab making any changes in the last 13 years?

Who's to say he doesn't have a foot long knife in his coat?

...........or, a machete, or a.44 magnum, or (more likely) a ltr of cider?

The reaction of the staff in the shop was a bit of a giveaway that he was/is relatively harmless.

I'm not defending what he did ie. a mild punch, but I do think the staff should have done something, after all the OP was a customer and as such should have been able to shop unmolested.

Oh and well done to Crankboy for getting in a dig at Thatcher. It is traditional now that every thread has to have at least one political comment and this thread almost missed out. 🙄

Ah. Beaten to it by Epicsteve 😉

thanks to Thatcher

🙄

That's getting as boring as people bleating on about us winning the World Cup in 1966.

Report it. It doesn't matter how 'harmless' someone appears, its very intimidating to be followed and threatened by someone, especially if they have behaviour issues. How were you to know he wouldn't flip and attack you with something?!

Report to police.

Complain in writing to shop.

Demand that the incident is recorded in their accident book in case it happens in future with more serious consequences...i.e. the customer turns round a floors the guy! The book is there for anyone in the shop, not just staff.

what??? we won the world cup in 66
that very important fact must have passed me by.

My first thoughts were that he was pissed, he seemed to be staggering and slurring, but as you say it could well be mental health issues.

If he is a loon he should be sectioned .Another example of neglect in the neighbourhood ,sorry care in the community not working maybe?

I'm finding this thread amusing.

So people are saying that if someone is mentally ill etc it is ok for them to go round attacking people? As they are not entirly aware of what they are doing...

I must remember that one.

If someone attacks me, depending on the circumstances I would either restrain them or retaliate.

The fact that the store did v little about it is appauling. Even if he is known to them, they should of atleast explained the situation to the OP.

Report it, otherwise other people may be attacked.

Well, the local community support officers site directed me back to the police website. On there I found a 'Notify us of information that maybe of interest to us' type form and have filled it out.

I figure that that's the best way of making sure it's recorded but no major fuss is made about it. Plus it means they get to have a laugh at my formal writing style 😉

Thanks for all your comments.

****, no Lamberts then?

I'll take the Richmond if they're still available.

I suspect that the staff could see that you weren't in any real danger and didn't need help. Presumably if you were a little old lady or a child they'd have done something different.
If I see someone babbling incoherently walking into a convenience store I tend to assume they are pissed or mentally ill or both, and in search of booze, so I give them a wide berth. Folks like that tend to behave erratically.

Sadly thatcher brought in care in the comunity,because the large mental hospitals i worked t cost to much, the patients whee thrown out to live in the comunity who basicly didnt and still dont want them, thestaff of these hostels also throw the residents out in the morning and tell them to come back at night,so theyre on the street, the shop workers obviously accept the chap as being ok,but a bit playful,they said he was ok, based on his past experinces towards them.

As per usual everything is being inflated and the poor chap may now be admitted as a sectioned patient,depriveing somebody who does need help the bed and the care in a hospital.

There is a difference between a playful punch and an agressive one, awaits responce from TJ,

because the large mental hospitals i worked t cost to much, the patients whee thrown out to live in the comunity who basicly didnt and still dont want them

Another reason to be carrying a set of Bombers with you at all times.

You missed out on a fantastic opportunity there mate. If some mentally handicapped guy started on me like that, I'd really fancy my chances.
And once I'd started getting the better of him, I'd throw in a bit of Mohammed Ali footwork and maybe finish the monger off with a crane kick like on Karate Kid!!
Then those Pguys behind the counter would know who's boss.

#edit# or stop being a fanny 😆

*disclaimer* the language used above is for comic effect only, before the lentil brigade start complaining

The actions, or more accurately complete lack of action, of the staff is condoning a physical assault. Personally I would be horrified. Genuinely. It sounds to me, and I appreciate you (the OP) may feel very differently about this, like a very public and humiliating experience and I would, and should, be absolutely livid about it. Did this really go on for a couple of minutes or more?!? Unbelievable. Not necessarily angry at the person who assaulted you who may have mental health issues but certainly at the staff and at Llondis as a company. It is clearly a civil matter, I wouldn't personally get the police involved, but I would feel the need to be compensated in some way- at the very, very least by an apology.

Haven't read all the above posts, but typing as someone with experience of mental health issues (not myself I hope!) the police should be involved so at the very least the persons doctor/psychiatrist can know.

The solution isn't necessarily sectioning, injected rather than easily skipped oral medication might be the answer.

Got told a story last night which (if true) makes any mental health issues in this thread pale into insignificence...

Family friend works as a carer in some mental health place, one of the patients comes in covered in blood, ripped clothes etc and won't say why. Much questioning later the patient says he'll tell but it has to stay a secret. Carer agrees just needing to know what the hell went on.

Patient says "i caught a troll" - cue more questions, trolls don't exist etc. Patient says they do and its locked in the gardening shed...

Carer goes for a look, in the shed is a beaten, bloody, tied up and pissed off dwarf/person of diminished stature...

story is rubbish. read it on b3ta before.

Who else is a b3tan then?

Or is that a b3[i]tard[/i]?

Before I start, I haven't read all the replies.
My opinion is yes the police should be informed. Even if the staff were ignoring it because they new the person in question has mental health problems (if thats the case) then they should have told you that's why they weren't doing anything.

People shouldn't be allowed to punch random strangers (even if it doesn't do damage). What if you'd not long been out of hospital after having an operation or something? a punch in the stomach (all beit not a strong one) could have done some serious damage).