Seattle police apprehended a 33-year-old woman on Thursday evening following an incident at a West Seattle gas station where she allegedly stole hot coffee and assaulted an employee. The confrontation occurred at a gas station located in the 5400 block of Delridge Way Southwest around 9:17 p.m. on April 10.
Upon arrival, officers discovered a 45-year-old clerk who was soaked in coffee and visibly distressed, exhibiting signs of severe pain with a bright red face, neck, and chest.
Gas station workers often encounter various situations, ranging from routine transactions to confrontational encounters. In this case, the employee’s attempt to resolve the situation by asking the woman to pay for her coffee resulted in a violent response. Such incidents can have lasting effects on employees, impacting their sense of security and well-being in their workplace.
According to the gas station employee, the woman had been in the store for approximately 15 minutes without making a purchase. He reported that she filled two cups with hot coffee from the coffee station but left with one cup without paying, abandoning the second cup at the counter.
When the clerk followed her outside, asking her to pay for the coffee, she responded by hurling the hot beverage at him, hitting his face and upper chest. Following the attack, the woman fled across the street and entered an apartment building in the same block.
The claim of self-defense raises legal questions that will likely be examined in court, as the circumstances surrounding her actions will be scrutinized. Seattle police located and detained her shortly thereafter. During questioning, the woman claimed she threw the coffee in self-defense.
She was subsequently booked into the King County Jail on suspicion of robbery. Meanwhile, medics from the Seattle Fire Department arrived to provide medical assistance to the gas station employee, who ultimately declined to be transported to the hospital for further treatment.
Source: Seattle Medium