Inset: Burton McDonald (Marion County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The Walmart in Ocala, Fla., where Burton McDonald and his roommate were being picked up by an Uber (Google Maps).
A Florida man attacked his roommate with a Walmart grocery bag containing a “tub of ice cream” — bashing him in the face with it for taking up too much space in an Uber, according to police.
Burton McDonald, 60, allegedly became furious with his roommate after the man tried to fit “several large plants” into the back of the Uber driver’s vehicle, leaving McDonald little room in the backseat.
An Uber was picking up the pair at a Walmart in Ocala.
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“When loading items back into the Uber’s vehicle, the defendant became upset with him over how much space he was taking up in the Uber,” an arrest affidavit says about McDonald. “He advised the defendant then struck him in the face, causing redness to his left cheek. He advised he was unsure exactly what he was struck with, however, he advised he was struck with something hard.”
Cops responded to the Walmart, where they found the roommate with redness on his left cheek. He said McDonald accompanied him to the store to buy groceries and other “items” for the group home where they live.
The man said they used the Uber app “due to neither of them being capable of driving,” according to the affidavit.
McDonald told cops that his roommate “mouthed off” to him and “nudged him on his side,” per the affidavit. “He advised he was unhappy with all of the items the victim purchased as it was taking up too much space in the Uber,” according to the police document. “He advised due to the victim ‘mouthing off’ at him, he struck the victim.”
The Uber driver allegedly witnessed the confrontation and backed up the victim’s account of what happened, saying McDonald was the aggressor.
“He advised he observed the defendant and victim arguing in the rear of his vehicle,” the affidavit says. “He advised he observed the defendant strike the victim in the face with a Walmart grocery bag containing a tub of ice cream. He advised the victim never touched, pushed or struck the defendant.”
Police arrested McDonald and charged him with battery on a person 65 or older, according to court records. He is due in court on Nov. 17 for his arraignment.
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.
