Man pulls gun on customer outside Walgreens after dispute over masks
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Tensions over mask wearing amid the coronavirus pandemic turned violent, where a man pulled out a gun on another customer outside a Walgreen’s pharmacy, according to police.
Todd Goulston, 59, of East Bridgewater, Massachusetts, was arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace after police said he pulled out a gun on another man during an argument over the victim refusing to wear a mask while inside the Walgreen’s Pharmacy at 4 Central Square.
“The argument continued into the parking lot where one of the men, later identified as Goulston, allegedly pulled out a gun from his vehicle and pointed it at the other man, who had not been wearing a face mask in the store,” according to a statement from Bridgewater Police Chief Christopher Delmonte. “Goulston then got in his vehicle and left the scene.”
Bridgewater police said a swift investigation led them to identify Goulston, arresting him a short time later at his home on Friday night with the assistance of the East Bridgewater Police Department. Police also said they seized Goulston’s firearms and gun license.
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The victim, a 30-year-old Abington man, was not injured during the incident, police said.
Bridgewater police did not provide a booking photo of Goulston.
“After being placed into custody, Goulston complained of a medical issue and was transported to a local hospital,” Bridgewater police said. “His license to carry a firearm and firearms from his home were seized by police.”
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker mandated mask wearing in an emergency coronavirus pandemic order issued in May, requiring face coverings in stores and public places where social distancing is not possible. The only exceptions are for children under the age of 2 and people who are unable to wear a mask or face covering due to a medical condition.
The incident in Bridgewater follows a series of confrontations over mask-wearing during the coronavirus pandemic that have become violent or aggressive in cities across the nation.
In Fort Meyers, Florida, an insurance agent named Daniel Maples was fired from his job this week after he was recorded on video screaming and aggressively confronting another person in a Costco store who asked him to wear a mask. A store clerk at a pet store in Albuquerque said last week a man threatened him with a gun after asking the customer to wear a mask. In May, the city of Stillwater, Oklahoma, backed off a mask mandate after the mayor there said someone threatened to use a gun on a store employee insisting a customer wear a mask.
Staff writer Marc Larocque can be reached at mlarocque@enterprisenews.com. Follow him on Twitter @Enterprise_Marc.
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Man pulls gun on customer outside Walgreens in mask dispute
