Inset: Burton McDonald (Marion County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The Walmart in Ocala, Fla., where Burton McDonald and his roommate were waiting for an Uber (Google Maps).
A Florida man allegedly struck his roommate in the face with a Walmart grocery bag carrying a “tub of ice cream” after becoming angry about how much space the roommate’s belongings occupied in an Uber, police said.
Burton McDonald, 60, was reportedly upset when his roommate attempted to load “several large plants” into the back of the vehicle, leaving McDonald with limited room in the rear seat.
The two men had arranged for an Uber to collect them outside a Walmart in Ocala.
According to an arrest affidavit, McDonald became angry while the purchases were being placed inside the vehicle. The roommate told investigators that McDonald complained about the space and then hit him in the face, leaving his left cheek red. He said he did not know exactly what struck him, only that the object felt hard.
Deputies who arrived at the Walmart found the roommate with visible redness on his left cheek. He said McDonald had accompanied him to the store to purchase groceries and other supplies for the group home where they lived.
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The roommate said they requested an Uber because neither man was able to drive, the affidavit states.
McDonald gave police a different account, claiming his roommate had “mouthed off” and nudged him in the side. He also said he was frustrated by the number of items the man had bought because they were taking up too much room in the Uber. McDonald told investigators that he struck his roommate because of the alleged comments.
The Uber driver reportedly witnessed the dispute and told officers that McDonald had initiated the physical confrontation, supporting the roommate’s account.
The driver said he saw the two men arguing in the back of his vehicle before watching McDonald hit the roommate in the face with a Walmart bag containing a tub of ice cream. The driver told police that the roommate never touched, shoved or struck McDonald.
McDonald was arrested and charged with battery on a person 65 or older, court records show. His arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 17.
The post Man uses “tub of ice cream” from Walmart to teach his roommate a violent lesson about taking up too much space in an Uber: Police first appeared on Law & Crime.