A woman was arrested for allegedly attacking a woman who had recently undergone surgery and asked her to properly wear a face mask at a New Jersey Staples store, police said.
Surveillance video captured the moment when the suspect, identified as Terri Thomas, 25, of Hackensack, approached a woman in the store who was wearing a face shield and mask, and using a cane.
A clip of the surveillance video shows Thomas, who appears to be wearing a mask that is not properly covering her nose and mouth, approach the other woman at a copier. The woman appears to lift up her cane in Thomas’ direction, at which point Thomas grabs her and throws her to the ground.
In a statement, Hackensack police said the woman thrown to the ground recently had liver transplant surgery and had asked Thomas to properly wear her mask because of coronavirus concerns.
The woman suffered a fractured bone in her left leg that required surgery, police said.
“Staples’ employees immediately called 911 and tended to the victim within seconds of the assault,” said Hackensack Police Detective Capt. Darrin DeWitt.
Thomas was charged with aggravated assault, a second degree offense. She was released on a summons and is expected to appear in court on August 24. CNN has reached out to Thomas for comment.
