CORONAVIRUS: People Behaving Badly

CORONAVIRUS: People Behaving Badly

All times of crisis bring out the best in people, but the worst in some people also rears its ugly head.

While we hear about the all of the brave and commendable work the healthcare providers are doing to help those affected by the coronavirus, there are others making news for their bad behavior. In Pennsylvania this week, a woman walked into a supermarket and played a sick joke on customers by coughing all over the fresh produce, bakery items, and meat selections. The owner of the store, who says he had to throw out $35,000 worth of tainted food, reported the incident to police who say they are investigating and preparing charges.

In Missouri, police arrested a 26-year-old man who posted a video on social media showing himself licking items at a Walmart as a joke. As he licked things he asked, “Who’s afraid of the coronavirus? He was charged with making terroristic threats.

An FBI sting in California led to the arrest of a man who was selling pills which he claimed would cure people of coronavirus and also help prevent it. Keith Middlebrook shopped his “patent-pending cure” to investors and claimed that Magic Johnson was on his board of directors. Middlebrook is charged with wire fraud and looking at up to 20 years in prison.

Hot Takes:

  • U.S. Attorney General William Barr issued a warning this week about scam artists being very busy during this crisis.
  • Some people are doing really idiotic things and should be arrested and publicly shamed.
  • There have other stories about people thinking it’s funny to cough on people or lick grocery store items.