UPDATED 7/8, 10:10 a.m. ET: The man in the video has been identified as Daniel Maples and fired from his job at Ted Todd Insurance. The company tweeted that Maples’ “behavior in the video is in direct conflict with our company values.”
“Threatening behavior and intimidation go against our core mission to be trusted advisors in our community,” CEO Charley Todd tweeted from the company account. From his personal account he noted that Maples "absolutely does not represent our values and no longer works at our agency."
See original story below.
A viral video of a Florida man screaming at an elderly woman in Costco is showing us just how dangerous the ongoing debate about masks has become.
Despite everyone, from Bernie Sanders to Mitch McConnel, promoting the fact that wearing masks prevents the spread of coronavirus—as doctors and scientist have proved—the lasting impact of a lethargic White House and Donald Trump’s reluctance to publicly wear masks continues to make this a political issue in virtually every community in the country.
The most conflict seems to arise in states like Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis has failed to issue a statewide mask order, despite cases skyrocketing in the sunshine state. In contrast, other states with growing COVID-19 cases, such as Texas, have begun implementing mask orders.
Thus Florida is where we find a middle-aged white man screaming at an elderly woman after she asks him to wear a mask inside of a Costco. In the video, we hear the man screaming at the woman and a man who is filming the incident: “I feel threatened! I feel threatened! Back up! Threaten me again! Back the f*** up! Put your f***ing phone down.”
It’s clear that while the man reacted like a victim, he's actually using that language in an attempt to justify his aggression. Not to mention he’s breaking the rules, as Costco has required customers to wear masks since May.
People have also made the connection between the man’s actions and how the phrase “I feel threatened” is a common defense following instances of police brutality.
There’s also the man’s shirt, which reads “Running the World Since 1776.” Yikes.
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A video of the incident shows the woman throwing a temper tantrum before dropping to the ground and asserting her "constitutional rights."
To Costco’s credit, the Daily Mail reports that store employees escorted the man out following the incident.
