Police probing report that manager pulled gun on shopper
News
October 2, 2009

Police probing report that manager pulled gun on shopper

Police are investigating a dispute between a shopper and the management of Bonadie’s Supermarket this week in which the customer claimed a store official pulled a gun on her.{{more}}

Kezzes Pompey, a mother of two, complained to Searchlight that she was threatened with a firearm while complaining about a discrepancy with her groceries, and vowed never to shop there again.

Pompey, of Largo Height, Kingstown, charged that while packing away the groceries she had bought from the supermarket last Saturday, she realised that she did not receive all the items for which she had paid.

“Monday I went to the supermarket and I told the cashier who had cashed me that I did not get all my stuff, ” Pompey explained.

“She was going to lunch and I didn’t have my bill with me so I run over to my workplace, got the bill and went back to Bonadie,” said Pompey, who works at DH1 Restaurant in the Central Market.

According to Pompey, when she returned to the supermarket, she asked for and spoke to an assistant manager identified as “Crichton”.

“I approached him. He told me to hold on. I approached him again, but while I was talking to him he wasn’t even listening. He said he can’t do nothing about that and then he walked off.”

Pompey admitted to shouting at the assistant manager, saying that she was not leaving until she received satisfaction.

At this point, she said, Crichton asked the company’s security guard to escort her from the premises, but when she refused to leave, the situation quickly deteriorated.

“After he realise that I was not leaving, Bono himself approached me and gave me one lash in my chest and he keep chucking me out of the supermarket and I chuck him back.

“And after I chuck he back he pull out he gun. He was waving it at me and then he pull it down.”

Pompey said that Bono, who was identified as the company’s manager, was chastised by other shoppers for drawing his weapon on Pompey.

She stated that she promptly left the supermarket and went to the Central Police Station where she lodged a complaint.

“They took a report but what they telling me is that Bonadie have a licensed gun and that they would look into it.

“So it come like because he have a licensed gun he have the authority to pull it at anybody?

“I go there peacefully. I didn’t have no weapon. I didn’t go to thief or anything and I don’t deserve that kind of treatment,” Pompey said.

Calls to the Public Relations Department of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force confirmed that Pompey reported to the Criminal Investigations Department that a gun was pointed at her and that they are investigating the matter.

Searchlight also contacted the management of Bonadie’s Supermarket, who refused to comment on the matter.

Pompey said that she was not satisfied with the way the matter was being dealt with and intends to take the matter further in an attempt to get at least the items for which she paid, but which she claimed she never received.