A video posted to social media shows two men defending a Washington cigar shop from looters. Posted May 31, the footage shows an armed man—reportedly the store’s owner—forcing masked intruders from the store at gunpoint.
Man Defends Washington Cigar Shop
Footage shows the man in a cowboy hat, gun drawn, yelling “Move, move, move, move …” repeatedly. He clearly means business and appears to be defending his business from looting. As the last looter clears the door, a second armed man shouts “Get the f*ck out! Stay away!” That man appears to re-holster as the first man continues to push looters away, walking across the parking lot.
The incident reportedly took place in a Cigar Land store in Bellevue, Wash., according to washingtonexaminer.com.
The scene eerily captured a moment playing out in cities across the country. As anger over the death of George Floyd turned to protests, those protests quickly turned to rioting in the streets. Now cities across the country implement lockdowns and curfews in an attempt to curb the violence.
Lost in most of the national coverage are the effects of looting on most small businesses. Many are simply left to their own. With many businesses already crushed over COVID-19 lockdowns, defending what they have left likely becomes even more paramount.
