Neither my husband nor I have any experience with charges being filed against us. We run our family owned grocery store, which is in a low income and assistance dependent area, in a suburban town in Pennsylvania. I had an issue with a patron at my store today and this is what happened in chronological order:
1. Customer became upset regarding her purchase and began screaming and swearing at me in the store.
2. I asked her to leave her merchandise behind and leave the store. I've had to do this in the past, but never because someone was screaming at me specifically.
3. The customer refused to leave. I asked her again to leave and walked away.
4. She followed me and told me that she was going to "kick my @$$." I backed off further and asked her to leave again.
5. She continue to come toward me, making verbal threats.
6. I called for my husband (I am pregnant, and have never been in a physical altercation, I was very frightened)
7. I walked away when he came.
8. He asked her to leave, she refused and continued to tell him she was going to hurt me.
9. He escorted her (grabbed her by the elbow and walked her) out of the store.
10. She at one point broke free and hit him, he did not hit back but regained control of her by her arm and continued to walk her out of the building.
11. He remained outside until she got in her car and drove away.
Now she is filing assault charges against him! The police came and did not make an arrest. We gave them a tape, which shows exactly what I've described above, and the police officer said their opinion is that he acted in defense of me and all others in the store and that the police report would reflect that he acted within his rights as a store owner and in my defense to remove someone from the store using reasonable force. I am just so afraid that something could happen to my husband! He didn't hurt her, and he would never hit anyone unless it was necessary, he was only trying to get her out of the store and away from me as gently as possible since she would not leave on her own. Any advice? My ONLY experience with criminal law is as a witness for the state when people have stolen goods from our store.

