Kroger employee under investigation for allegedly throwing groceries, yelling at customer

FREMONT, Ohio (WTVG) - A Kroger employee is under investigation by the Fremont Police Department for allegedly smashing and throwing a customer’s groceries in the store.

Police were called to the Kroger in Fremont Monday for a report of an employee smashing and throwing groceries. Some of the incident was caught on cell phone video.

The video shows Gail Johnson’s groceries on the floor at the Kroger in Fremont. Johnson said she’s a couponer and shops at the store every week.

According to Johnson, the cashier got upset while ringing her up Monday.

“A total of $44 and some change. I said no, that’s not correct. I said mine should be about $25 because I always total my order. He said the coupons came off and we’re both looking up at the screen and I said no the coupons are not off,” Gail Johnson said.

Johnson said the cashier grabbed his calculator. She said she also added up the groceries again.

“He said, ‘What the F do you want my effing job,’ and I was in a state of shock,” the shopper said.

The employee did not stop at that, however.

“The stuff was on the conveyor belt, and he got the chips, and he took both of his fists, and he slammed them so hard, the chips went everywhere. He grabbed the bag, and he was shaking the bag like chips went and all of me at everything. I stood back a little bit. He threw them all the way from the register out there across the floor,” Johnson said.

Employees swept up the mess. The shopper says she feared for her life.

“He went like this here and I stepped back for a minute and all I saw was the chicken wings, the wing dings, the frozen chicken wings. I picked them up and I threw them and hit him with it. He looked at me and got to screaming and calling me all kinds of B’s,” said Johnson.

Johnson says the employee had to be restrained. She recorded the employee screaming at her.

Police have not charged the employee who’s in his 40s but a police report indicates a charge is pending of disorderly conduct.

Kroger released a statement on the incident.

“We are aware of the customer concern and currently reviewing. Your voicemail mentioned a police investigation, we would refer to the police for additional inquiries as we do not comment on any pending police investigations,” an official with Kroger said.

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