Video Of Maskless Man At Danbury Bookstore Goes Viral

DANBURY, CT — A video of an argument between a customer and the manager of the Danbury Barnes & Noble went viral Tuesday.

The customer refused to wear a mask, and manager Sharon Ewing asked him to leave. That's when matters turned ugly.

"I have a f------ right to be here," the customer said.

"No you don't," Ewing countered. "Leave the store now."

"Why?" the customer said. "What are you going to do?"

The customer told Ewing to step away before he suddenly stepped up within inches of her.

The customer contended the bookstore is a public establishment where he has the right to be maskless. The manager countered the store is privately owned. The customer then made his way to an exit, turned to other shoppers and wished them a "Merry f------ Christmas."

The video (below) was posted to TikTok, Facebook and Twitter, and has been seen by millions.

Barnes & Noble spokesperson Alex Ortolani said he believed Ewing "handled herself very well."

"In Connecticut, I think the policies are pretty clear about asking customers to wear masks," Ortolani told Patch.

State Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan, who represents the 2nd District and areas of Danbury, posted the video clip on his Facebook feed, and commented, "More than 300k Americans have DIED and yet there are still people like this bully at the Danbury CT Barnes & Noble who refuse to wear masks and threaten others who try to enforce the requirement. For those who want to claim that not wearing a mask is part of their personal freedom...you are not free to endanger others because of your personal choices."

The current coronavirus pandemic guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention call for masks to be worn in public settings by those 2 and older when around others who don't live in their household.

Note: The video contains graphic language.