A former San Francisco-based Walgreens manager faces up to one year in prison and a $10,000 fine after being convicted this week of assaulting a suspected shoplifter.
The Context
The former manager, 46-year-old Guang Hong, was working at Walgreens when he attacked the alleged shoplifter on March 19.
Hong is no longer an employee at Walgreens and hasn’t been “for months,” a source close to the case told Newsweek.
What To Know
A jury convicted Hong of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury this week, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced.
Assault is a “wobbler” offense in California, meaning prosecutors can elect to charge it as a felony or misdemeanor. Hong was convicted of a misdemeanor, the DA’s office confirmed to Newsweek.
According to California’s penal code, any person convicted of assault as a felony “shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years” and those convicted of misdemeanor assault can be sentenced to “county jail for not exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment.”
The suspected shoplifter, 30-year-old Larry Whitlock, entered the Walgreens where Hong worked before 5 a.m. on March 19 and took a bottle of shampoo, prosecutors said in court filings.
They said that as Whitlock was leaving the store, “the security guard alerted Mr. Hong, the Walgreens manager, of the theft.”
Hong got the shampoo bottle back from Whitlock after a confrontation and Whitlock then left the store.
“After approximately one minute, Mr. Hong noticed that the victim was still outside the store,” Jenkins’ office said in its statement announcing Hong’s conviction. “He confronted the victim again, shouting and pointing with his keys.”
He “then charged at the victim and punched him in the face with a key protruding from his knuckles. Mr. Hong then punched the victim two more times with his keys in his hand and kicked the victim as he fell to the ground.”
What People Are Saying
Jenkins said in a statement after Hong’s conviction: “I would like to thank the jury for their service in this trial. Although I understand the frustration and anger in the community, violence is unacceptable and only makes matters worse. My office takes all crime seriously and is working in partnership with law enforcement to ensure those who engage in criminal behavior are held accountable and face consequences to protect the safety of the public and to restore the public’s faith in the criminal justice system and the rule of law.”
Assistant District Attorney Max Draskovich said: “Store theft is an important issue, but it does not justify an assault that goes beyond self-defense. Mr. Hong’s response went far beyond self-defense, and we are thankful that the jury rightly held him accountable. Justice means upholding the law for everyone, on both sides of the incident.”
Hong’s attorney, deputy public defender Megan Votaw, said in a statement: “Mr. Hong was a longtime and extremely hardworking Walgreens employee who was working the graveyard shift on the night in question, and he fought in self-defense after attempting to recover stolen items from the alleged victim.
“During the interactions that Mr. Hong and the alleged victim had that night, the alleged victim threw a bottle at Mr. Hong, repeatedly hurled offensive insults – that Mr. Hong interpreted as threats – and came toward him with a fighting posture. Mr. Hong was not holding his keys between his fingers when he punched the alleged victim.”
What Happens Next
Hong is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15. Whitlock is also facing charges of petty theft and battery.
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