Kroger supermarket security guard Tom Clingo wrestled a 16-year-old girl to the ground in a video that has now gone viral. Clingo can be seen striking the girl, pinning her down and dragging her. According to The Toledo Blade, the young girl kicked and punched Clingo in an attempt to get away.
Clingo, 32, was on hand when the 16-year-old girl and her friend were approached by an employee who suspected them of stealing miscellaneous items. While the other teen ran away, Clingo grabbed the girl in what would become a five-minute debacle before police arrived on the scene.
During the video, which can be seen here, 10 to 12 bystanders can be seen filming and urging the security guard to get off of her. When who appears to be a Kroger manager steps into view, bystanders plead that he tell Clingo to let go, but he refuses.
Once police arrive, Clingo releases the young girl and steps forward to one of the bystanders who urged him to let go of her. “Get this guy too,” Clingo tells the officers, pulling up his shirt and claiming the man hit him. Bystanders, however, quickly assure officers they have the full confrontation on video and that the man never laid a hand on Clingo.
The video has reached a Facebook audience that gathered 158,000 views as of March 26. Many commenters criticized Clingo for being too rough, while others justified his use of force and deemed it necessary. Facebook prefaced the video with a warning label that reads: “This video may show violence against a child or teenager.”
According to The Toledo Blade, the young girl was later arrested and charged with robbery instead of theft because she "used force in an effort to get away." Clingo was not charged with any crimes, and the Kroger manager has declined to comment as to whether any disciplinary action will be taken against Clingo, Raw Story reports.
Toledo’s police department received many calls questioning whether Clingo’s use of force was appropriate, but an official clarified, “This is not a Toledo police officer and is in no way affiliated with the department. If people were upset with the manner in which he acted, they should contact Kroger, I suppose.”