Jessie Sotto, a Dollar General employee, has lost her job after a viral video showed her using her car to stop an alleged shoplifter
Sotto emphasised her affection for her career and her belief that she acted in the best interests of her former company. She is reportedly disappointed by her firing.
According to a video of the incident, Jessie Sotto drove after the alleged shoplifter before striking him in a driveway. More than 12 million people have watched the video on Twitter, although it’s not clear when or where it was shot. But according to a different Twitter feed reported by Newsweek, the incident took place on May 11 someplace in California.
Who is Jessie Sotto as video goes viral showing Dollar General stor employee running down alleged shoplifter with car
Dollar Store Employee Fired After Hitting Alleged Shoplifter with Car
The Dollar General cashier who took down an alleged shoplifter with her car says she’s been fired after footage of the incident went viral. The ex-Dollar General employee in the wild video is Jessie Sotto… pic.twitter.com/slBYqekHUg— Dr.LyndaBarnes (@MrsBarnesII) May 31, 2023
Former Dollar General employee, Jessie Sotto who used her car to run over an alleged shoplifter has been fired from her job after footage of the incident went viral. pic.twitter.com/cuEyEvMY9L
— Blac Goss (@Blacgoss) May 31, 2023
Several items that were purportedly taken from Dollar General were being carried by a man on a bicycle when he was struck by a white SUV, according to a Ring camera on a homeowner’s property. The man was knocked from his bike by the impact, spreading the cargo across the driveway. The Dollar General employee, Jessie Sotto, then got out of the car, and they got into a heated argument, with Sotto accusing the man of stealing.
College student Jessie Sotto, who is majoring in criminal justice, asserts that the alleged shoplifter was a persistent issue at the establishment and disregarded earlier orders to stop stealing. She made the decision to act independently out of frustration.
She claimed that the alleged shoplifter had taken chips, doughnuts, bread, cheese, and bologna but had not paid for them. Sotto alleges that she pursued him and pleaded with him to give the goods back. She tried to stop him with her car after he refused and insulted her.
What possible sanctions may Sotto face?
According to California’s penal code, assault with a dangerous weapon includes assaulting someone with a weapon other than a handgun or using force that could cause great bodily damage, and the guy has stated his intention to file charges against Jessie Sotto. Jessie Sotto could be sentenced to up to a year in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both if found guilty of a misdemeanour. A felony conviction carries a potential punishment of up to $10,000 in fines and four years in state prison.
The video has also spurred a discussion about how to react when someone steals from a store and received a range of reactions from internet users. Others criticised Jessie Sotto’s actions, calling them disproportionate and unwarranted and possibly amounting to assault with a lethal weapon, while some welcomed her response to the alleged theft.
This incident follows contentious responses to accused shoplifting in the past. A pregnant woman who was seven months along was shot by a Walgreens employee in April in Nashville, allegedly for shoplifting. The mother suffered significant but stable injuries as a result of the shooting, but the infant was unhurt.