Irate man becomes violent at Papa Joe's

Birmingham police were dispatched to Papa Joe's Gourmet Market on Woodward, Friday, November 20, to help deal with a customer who was yelling, screaming obscenities and violently pushed a female employee.

Employees informed officers that the customer, a 43-year-old Pontiac man, was yelling at the store manager and store employees because he believed masks were not properly being worn in the store. Employees said for the last three weeks, the customer had been coming in the store on Fridays and causing a scene over face shields being worn instead of masks.

The customer had been asked to leave the store, the manager said, because he was yelling and causing a scene.

While outside the grocery store, the customer proceeded to move closer to, and yell obscenities at, a female employee. According to witnesses, he violently pushed another female employee.

Witnesses reported that store employees were all wearing masks or face shields during the incident.

Birmingham police issued the man a citation for assault and battery.