Man Punched Store Employee; Stole Chicken, Condoms: Fairfield PD

FAIRFIELD, CT — A Stamford man is accused of punching a Fairfield grocery store employee, and kicking and spitting on law enforcement officers after he was caught trying to steal chicken and condoms from Stop & Shop, according to police.

John E. Carter, 37, is charged with robbery, larceny, interfering or resisting arrest, and two counts of assault of a peace officer in connection with the Jan. 17 episode, a Fairfield police report said.

The incident began about 1 p.m., when store security saw Carter trying to return firewood that he hadn't purchased and stealing a package of chicken wings and 11 packs of Trojan condoms, according to police. An employee followed Carter into the parking lot and tried to prevent him from leaving the business at 1160 Kings Highway Cutoff, police said.

Carter told the employee, "I'll fight you, I don't care if I go to jail," according to the report. When the employee attempted to stop him again, Carter punched the man in the forehead, police said.

When officers arrived, they told Carter to get on the ground, according to the report. When Carter refused, police brought him to the ground, and he kicked and spat on the officers, the report said. Carter was put in the back of a police car and cut his forehead while hitting it against the vehicle's plastic partition, according to the report. He tried to kick out the windows and partition of the car and continued to hit his head on the partition, the report said.

Carter was taken to Fairfield police headquarters and then to a hospital, according to the report. His arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 31, according to court records.

The stolen items, which were recovered by Stop & Shop, had a total value of $126.39, the report said.