A shoplifting incident at a Castro District Walgreens this morning ended in a violent confrontation, resulting in the arrest of a store employee. According to CBS San Francisco, the employee, Guang Hong, a 45-year-old man, allegedly stabbed the suspected thief following a verbal and physical altercation.
At around 4:15 AM, the suspect, 30-year-old Larry Whitlock, was seen on security footage leaving the Walgreens at 498 Castro Way with unpaid merchandise. After being confronted by Hong and a security guard, the situation escalated. Leaving the store, captured by the camera, shows the men engaging in a physical fight, which concluded with Whitlock stumbling and holding his face, indicative of the alleged stabbing, according to KTVU.
The San Francisco Police Department arrived on the scene after being flagged down around 4:35 AM, where officers found Whitlock suffering from his injuries. Though medical help was offered, Hong declined and was instead taken into custody by the police. He is now facing a charge of assault with a deadly weapon, which could result in up to four years in prison and fines of up to $10,000 if convicted. Whitlock was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and received citations for battery and petty theft, carrying a penalty of up to six months in county jail and fines up to $3,000.
In their response to the incident, Walgreens said, "Walgreens is aware of the incident and cooperating with the police in their investigation," as per CBS San Francisco. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with further information is encouraged to contact the SFPD at 415-575-4444 or submit a tip by texting TIP411, starting the message with SFPD.
