Those close to the situation said the incident at the Prosperity Church Road location was between an employee and management.
CHARLOTTE -- A Food Lion employee died Thursday after being zapped by a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer’s Taser.
According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, officers were called in to the Prosperity Church Road supermarket to deal with an altercation inside.
According to a statement from CMPD, the employee, Darryl Wayne Turner, was “assaulting the store manager by throwing an object at him” and “refused all verbal commands and advanced toward the officer.”
Authorities say Turner was then handcuffed and zapped with a Taser. When it was realized he needed medical attention, police called in an ambulance. Turner was transferred to Carolinas Medical Center–University, where police say he died some time Thursday afternoon.
Erza Carter’s son worked with the employee, and was stunned to learn Turner, who employees at nearby stores described as nice and well-mannered, was suddenly gone.
“When you are working at Food Lion, you don’t think you are going to be dead the next day,” said Carter. “When you’re bagging groceries, or you’re doing stock, you just don’t think you are going to be dead.”
According to a sign on the store’s front doors, the Food Lion will be closed until 7 a.m. on Friday.
Managers leaving the store declined comment. Calls to Food Lion’s corporate communications were not immediately returned.