A man shopping in the cereal aisle of an Alexandria, Virginia, Giant supermarket on Christmas Day was accosted by an angry woman who hurled anti-gay slurs at him while shoving his cart and placing her hands on him.
The confrontation was captured in a video later posted to TikTok. “Just got hate-crimed in the grocery store. TikTok do your thing,” wrote the user, who goes by the handle @deonteiy.
The video, which has since gone viral, shows the woman repeatedly using profanity and hurling anti-gay slurs at the man, appearing to take issue with his sexuality. Based on her comments, she also appears to object to his clothing, telling him to “put some fucking clothes on” during the tirade.
Subsequent photos he posted in response to comments defending the woman showed Deonteiy wearing gray sweatpants that accentuate his glutes — something he has become known for as a fitness entrepreneur, according to LGBTQ Nation — along with a tight-fitting black hoodie that highlights his upper-body physique.
(A separate photo taken from his social media accounts and circulated by anti-gay defenders of the woman shows Deonteiy wearing a low-cut hoodie that exposes his chest, though the photos he posted of himself in the supermarket do not.)
“Get that shit out of my motherfuckin’ face,” the woman says, aggressively pushing Deonteiy’s shopping cart as he films.
“I don’t even know you,” he replies.
“Boy, get outta here with your gay ass!” she replies.
She continues to approach him confrontationally, pushing the shopping cart back and forth in the aisle while ranting at him.
A second woman who appears to be one of the aggressor’s friends, who is seen in the video, attempts to separate the two sparring shoppers, but the first woman persists with the confrontation, prompting Deonteiy to repeatedly say, “I don’t know you.”
“I don’t know you either. What’s up? What’s up, gay boy?” she taunts. “You need to cover that shit up. I’m sick of this gay shit, bro!”
“Why you up on me?” Deonteiy says.
“What you gonna do? What you gonna do?” the woman says, prompting Deonteiy to respond, “I’m about to call the police.”
The woman’s friend again attempts to intervene, reminding her that it is Christmas.
“Fuck the Christmas!” the woman responds, screaming at Deonteiy to get out of her sight, shoving the cart at him, and referring to him as a “bitch.”
She eventually gets up in his face and pushes into him, prompting him to push her away in self-defense.
“Don’t touch me [racial expletive] with your gay ass!” she says just before the video ends, prompting Deonteiy to respond, “I really want you to back up.”
TikTok user @TizzyEnt claimed that after Deonteiy stopped filming, he called 911. According to TizzyEnt, police who responded attempted to surround the woman’s car, but she slipped away and allegedly led them on a high-speed chase. She was not arrested.
Some TikTok users claim to have identified the woman, with commenters alleging that she later changed her TikTok screen name and set her account to “private.”
While some anti-gay detractors accused Deonteiy of provoking the woman, the overwhelming majority of comments were positive, praising him for remaining calm during the confrontation.
“I’ll just say this …. Most of us would’ve understood if you handled this another way,” wrote TikTok user @HoneyBee.
“I’ll never understand how a total stranger being gay affects anyone else life…like what,” wrote another TikTok user, @Jazzy.
“I would have maced her. Empty the whole can,” wrote TikTok user @BehatiBeauty.
As reported by NBC Washington, the Alexandria Police Department identified the woman as Shibritney Colbert, 34, of Landover, Maryland, and announced that she’s been charged with assault in connection with the incident.
“Based on the victim’s statement, comments exchanged prior to the assault and the totality of the circumstances, investigators believe the victim was targeted because of his sexual orientation,” the department said in a statement.
Police also noted that officers responded to a 911 call made from a Giant store at 3131 Duke Street in Alexandria. When an officer tried to detain Colbert, she fled, police said.
Colbert was taken into custody and held at the Prince George’s County jail, before being extradited to Virginia. She faces charges including assault, property destruction, and eluding police. But she could also face a bias enhancement under a new hate crime policy that was unveiled by Alexandria police — which could result in more serious penalties if she’s found guilty.
Under the new policy, Alexandria police create a report for all hate-related incidents and notify their supervisor, who would inform the police chief. A detective would immediately respond and begin investigating any incidents that are allegedly motivated by bias.
The policy also requires the department to release reports on hate crimes two times a year.
“Hate crimes are not just crimes against individuals; they are offenses that threaten the entire community and undermine the fundamental principles of dignity, equality and safety,” Chief Tarrick McGuire told NBC Washington. “One bias or hate crime is too many for our community.”
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misstated the location of the supermarket where the confrontation occurred. The story has been updated to reflect the correct location of the supermarket, as well as provide additional details about the alleged perpetrator and criminal charges brought against her.
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