Roger Stephens, 61, was arrested Monday and charged with first-degree cruelty to children. An incident report obtained from police in Gwinnett County indicated Stephens did not know the 2-year-old girl he stands accused of hitting.
The confrontation happened shortly before noon at the Walmart in Stone Mountain, a suburb of Atlanta.
According to the arresting officer, the child’s mother said her daughter was crying as they walked down one of the aisles.
The mother said a stranger later identified as Stephens approached them and said, “If you don’t shut the baby up, I will shut her up for you.”
A few moments later, while the mother and the crying child were in another aisle, Stephens allegedly grabbed the girl and slapped her across the face.
There are so many clichés in this story. Stephens looks pretty much exactly what I’d expect someone charged of such an act would look. He also allegedly said exactly what I would expect him to allegedly say, and I would expect it all to go down in a Walmart outside of Atlanta.
Via CNN
What’s sad is that if it was his kid, nobody’d be charged with anything and everyone would have continued on about their business.
I would not call the police. I would MURDER that man.
I don’t know, crying toddlers CAN be pretty damn annoying. I can see how he might be justified….
Ok ok, before people on here tear me apart, I am kidding about the justified (less about the annoying).
I have no issues with people spanking their kids, spanking other’s kids is where I draw the line, especially slapping etc.
@3, Yes it’s annoying, but it’s *supposed* to be annoying. Your instinct (unlike this ass’s) is supposed to be to help the child, not to harm her further.
I can’t stand people who hit crying children. How is that going to get them to STOP crying? Idiots.
I’d rather deal with a crying or tantrum-throwing kid (where the parents really can’t do anything) than a squealing/screaming kid who’s running up and down the aisles.
@5 then why don’t they do something that’s less annoying and more awesome? say, puff up and turn purple like violet from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?
@7 god, I wish that were so….
oompa looompa loompidy doo…
As Grant stated, there are so many clichés here that it’s actually funny – I mean, really, only in America.
Will Harrison Ford play him in the movie version of this story?
I would bet everything I own that this guy is a republican, but tells people he’s independent (but always votes republican).
If this happened in Texas, he probably would have shot the kid and the mother.
@ Allyn,
You know what happened to Veruca Salt. Bad egg sent head first down the garbage chute.
p.s. As someone who worked retail hell, I’ve got to tell you I’m feeling some for Mr. Stephens. He succumbed to the temptation all of us who’ve worn the navy blue vest have had. I kind of also feel for that guy who went nuts around X-mas time at Home Depot. There’s only so many times you can hear ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ on continuous loop before going postal on somebody’s ass.
You shouldn’t be allowed to bring your stinky-butt children into Walmart. Spoils the atmosphere.
Wow!!!, No need to call the police, had he done that to my child, I would’ve rearranged his face on all directions (made it even uglier), and loosen a couple of his teeth and gumS right there, and im not even a plastic surgeon nor dentist. But the Spirit would’ve guide me thru the process. i know that much.
I’m guessing he forgot his morning prunes, because he was thinking with his ass. That was asshole-ish with a capital A.
strange part is that walmart is pretty huge….just.walk.away
but an airplane is a completely different story….
Please learn the difference between a cliche and a stereotype.
This is one time I agree with Loveschild.
how very christian of you, loveschild.
andy_squirrel: i was on a flight from chicago in july where a five year old kid screamed and cried off and on most of the way. mom and i finally figured out the change in pressue was hurting his ears. neither one of us were angry or annoyed but both agreed that maybe knocking the kid out before boarding with some sleeping pills would have been a good idea.
In this “news” story, as you say, everything looks and happens as you would expect.
Not News: Dog bites Man.
News: Man bites Dog.
@11:
With a face like that? I’d cast Mickey Rourke.
@15:
So, slapping a kid is verboten, but beating the crap out of an adult is perfectly acceptable. What @21 said.
Come on guys, it’s right there in John 15:22-24: “Yea verily, and Jesus said, ‘if you fuck with my kids I will rearrange your face, motherfucker'”.
Slapping the kid isn’t the answer. Duct tape is the answer.
I hear they’re pretty tasty with a red wine marinade, battered-up and thrown on the barbecue grill. Yum.
@11, 23–Paul Lynde. Oh, wait…
You know the real messed up thing is that the baby is only 2 years old. I could see a fucking wingnut going crazy because of an older kid acting up, racing around, knocking shit over, screaming, or being a smart ass. But this is a baby with probably a pos mom who drags her kid to most likely a mega-walmart (and I hate having to deal with kids in any stores, especially something as heinous as a walmart). She clearly was not prepared to handle the kid’s needs- perhaps a diaper change, or maybe the baby just hated being in walmart? Either way, no excuse to hit a child in the face, ever. This asshole should be out in a fucking mental home, he looks absolutely nuts.
Don’t slap the kid, slap the mother. Seriously, the kid doesn’t know any better, but the mom sure as hell does. Anyone who doesn’t give a shit about her child’s well being or the sanity of the shoppers around her deserved to be bitch-slapped. Many times.
And let’s be honest- am I the only one that’s fantasized about having tranquilizer darts when faced with a screaming infant at 30,000 feet? Whenever I do, I have to remind myself that it’s the mother’s fault for being too stupid to bring a pacifier for her baby during the pressure change. She should be the one to suffer the wrath.
@29,
How is this the mother’s fault? Do you know of some magical means to keep 2-year-olds from crying?
@30 Children cry because they are (a) tired (b) hungry (c) in need of attention. There is absolutely no reason for her to stuff her child in a shopping cart and ignore it.
Is the man in this story justified in hitting the child? HELL NO. As much as I joke about drugging a screaming kid, I sure as hell would never do it in real life.
Oh, and don’t forget they cry because they’re 2 years old and there’s a reason they’re called the “terrible twos”
You have no idea why the child was crying. You’re so quick to blame the mother for being a bad parent. Have you ever seen a two year old in a grocery store? Let me explain it to you:
Child: I WANT THAT!
Mom: We’re not getting that.
Child: I WANT THATTTTTT
Mom: No, we’re not getting that.
Child: [flips shit]
Mom: [ignores, because she’s trying to train the child that throwing a tantrum is not the way to get your way].
Oh, and I love this “she shouldn’t have brought the kid to the grocery store” rhetoric too. Because just leaving your two-year-old kid at home unattended so that you can go do the fucking grocery shopping is the height of good parenting.
I’m all about adult-appropriate spaces and not bringing children into those spaces.
Fucking Wal-Mart doesn’t even come close to meeting that criteria.
And it’s not like I’m that big a fan of children, but I’m also not a privileged asshole who believes that the rest of the world needs to fall into line with my particular preferences while I’m shopping for a bag of Doritos.
Ah, of course all the strange comments from non-parents come out.
32 nails it.
Don’t like kids? Don’t go places where you’ll run into them, like the grocery store during the day.
Following up … I know that Fnarf @ 14 was being funny. I don’t know if every Wal-Mart is like the only one I’ve ever been in, but that one is a depressing concrete hole; stinky-butt children can only improve the atmosphere there.
Dude should have punched the kid right in his stupid baby face.
@29 I wouldn’t normally take the bait, but here goes…
If you don’t want to fly with crying and noisy children, buy a seat in first-class.
Don’t want to shop with children? Don’t shop at Wal-Mart.
Don’t want to eat with children? Don’t eat at Red Robin or any restaurant that caters to kids. If they have a kid’s menu, it is not the restaurant for you.
Living a life free of any exposure to children who are not perfectly behaved can be expensive, but if it is important to you, you will find a way to afford it. Otherwise, you will have to accept that “children are born wild. It is our job to train them.” [-Ann Landers] and that training takes years.
@29 or the father. I’m sick to death of mother’s getting blamed for everything. And, by the way, it’s challenging having a child. It’s not always hunger or being tired. But, I’m sure you are always super to be around — you sound like you have a bright, cheery personality.
Of course as a responsive parent, when the child is crying and/or throwing a tantrum, the proper response is: “You seem to be too tired [upset,angry,hungry,whatever] to shop right now, so we will have to go home now and try this again later.” But in reality, once you’ve gotten your kid dressed and out of the house, driven the 20 minutes to Wal-Mart, found a parking space, made it into the store, the last thing you want to do, the least reasonable thing to do, would be to leave it all and try to find time in your busy schedule to come back for all the necessities of life. Unfortunately there is not enough time in the day to always be a responsive parent.
thanks @32. voice of reason, fer sure.
this man is my angry angry hero.
@37 of course I’m a joy to be around- My personality is all rainbows and fucking sunshine.
@31 you are obviously not a parent
My uncle and Dad would snap us in the head if misbehaving. Ya know like making the OK sign and then snapping you with the forefinger. It was monentary pain but when it happened we knew to cool it.
I would never hit someone elses kid. I just secretly hope for it to hurt its self.
@ 43, this happened when you were TWO? Didn’t think so.
@ Mrs. Norris,
A ball gag?
@ Matt from Denver,
Back in the day if you lost your shit at a grocery store your mother would haul your drawers down and beat your bare backside with the flat of a hair brush or a wooden spatula. If she were really classy, she’d march you into the ladies room first. Getting smacked upside the head by dad was mercy.
45: Good to know that my mom chose the classy way. Me, I left my carts with groceries (with the managers permission) in cold storage, and took my kids home. I did come back for my cart, with a happier baby and a toddler that gained understanding that “acting up” wasn’t acceptable.
To add to 46:
My kids are now 11 and 14, and we are still having to discuss what is proper store behavior, because know they take great pleasure in irritating each other and bickering. Somethings just evolve.