OT - Wal-Mart Shopper Slaps Crying Child

[PowerChords]

http://www.cbsatlanta.com/news/20684677/detail.html#

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. -- A Wal-Mart shopper who became so angry about a crying child that he allegedly slapped the girl in the face is due in court Thursday morning, officials announced Wednesday.
Investigators said the incident happened Monday at the Stone Mountain store on Rockbridge Road.
A police report said the man, Roger Stephens, 61, of Stone Mountain, had warned the child’s mother, Sonya Mathews, that if she didn’t quiet down the child, he would do it for her.
According to the report, after the mother failed to quiet the girl, Stephens came up to them and slapped the child several times in the face.
The report then quotes Stephens as saying, “See, I told you I would shut her up.”
Mathews then screamed at Stephens and called for security, the report said. Stephens was stopped by another shopper, according to the report.
The girl, identified in the report as Paige Mathews, 2, was not injured, but did suffer some redness in the face. She was treated at the scene and released, the report said.
Stephens was charged with cruelty with children in the first degree, which is a felony.

All he needed to do was to look at the kid. Why even lay his hands on the poor tyke?

[PDiddy75]

[fightingilliniJRNY]

...but did suffer some redness in the face. She was treated at the scene and released, the report said.

How do you treat redness in the face?

[Voyager]

...but did suffer some redness in the face. She was treated at the scene and released, the report said.

How do you treat redness in the face?

Another slap?

[T-Bone]

But... But... But... He looks like such a pleasent and happy guy!!!

[Deb]

Holy crap! If that was my daughter at 2 and some strange man came over and started slapping her in the face, look the hell out! Run like hell dude......claws would be out....it wouldn't be pretty.

[Red13JoePa]

All he needed to do was to look at the kid. Why even lay his hands on the poor tyke?

Outstanding comment on an otherwise serious story...To quothe Deano that dude's mug could make a train back up and take a dirt road.

Were it my child this guy would have to unbotton his collar to take a dump, that's how hard I'd kick his ass.

[Deb]

Do you know how many times I've wanted to do this when I'm at Kroger or a restaurant? Of course I never have, but dammit, someday it might happen. The only question really is who to slap first, the parent who doesn't give a rip about other customers and patronizes/ignores the unruly child, or the child itself. Decisions decisions.....

Kind of agree with you.....restaurants yes, stores no. Going out to eat with little ones isn't the greatest idea unless it's a kids type restaurant. That isn't a necessity, can wait until they are older. But what if that was a single mother, what is she to do, leave her little ones at home? Shopping for food and clothing is a necessity, restaurants aren't.

[Red13JoePa]

Sure but there's ways to deal with it and ways not to.

[Lula]

i'm with you deb. anyone touches my boy, watch out! wyatt is displaying the terrible twos, such a pleasant time..... anyway, if he tantrums, screams, whatever, i scoop him up and take him away to avoid bothering the general public.

[steveo777]

The little girls mom should have kicked the dude in the balls. What an asshole. Everyone is supposed to know that you don't smack someone elses child.

[Rhiannon]

Were it my child this guy would have to unbotton his collar to take a dump, that's how hard I'd kick his ass.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[epresley]

My 13 year old deserves a slap every day and may get one from me before her teen years are over, but if someone came up and did that to one of my kids, it'd be on!!!!!!!!

[Deb]

i'm with you deb. anyone touches my boy, watch out! wyatt is displaying the terrible twos, such a pleasant time..... anyway, if he tantrums, screams, whatever, i scoop him up and take him away to avoid bothering the general public.

I can't even imagine it, some stranger coming up and slapping Amy around, I would have went apeshit! Ahhhh the terrible twos, I remember them fondly, NOT. You do the best you can in those situations. And believe me, most of the general public feels for ya at the time, cuz they've been there.

[Deb]

My 13 year old deserves a slap every day and may get one from me before her teen years are over, but if someone came up and did that to one of my kids, it'd be on!!!!!!!!

LOL, don't mean to laugh E, but I remember that with my daughter around 14, but don't worry once they hit about 16, it seems to be smooth sailing. Mines 19 now, and we couldn't get along better.

[epresley]

My 13 year old deserves a slap every day and may get one from me before her teen years are over, but if someone came up and did that to one of my kids, it'd be on!!!!!!!!

LOL, don't mean to laugh E, but I remember that with my daughter around 14, but don't worry once they hit about 16, it seems to be smooth sailing. Mines 19 now, and we couldn't get along better.

No, no, if it weren't happening to ME, I'd be laughing too!!!!!!!!!!!!

[conversationpc]

Some kids may NEED to be slapped (not in this case from all accounts) but NO ONE should EVER touch someone else's child. That guy should've had his lower lip tucked into the back of his pants.

[Melissa]

i'm with you deb. anyone touches my boy, watch out! wyatt is displaying the terrible twos, such a pleasant time..... anyway, if he tantrums, screams, whatever, i scoop him up and take him away to avoid bothering the general public.

I can't even imagine it, some stranger coming up and slapping Amy around, I would have went apeshit! Ahhhh the terrible twos, I remember them fondly, NOT. You do the best you can in those situations. And believe me, most of the general public feels for ya at the time, cuz they've been there.

Was just going to say the same thing Deb, I'm pretty sure any parent here, myself included, could say they've been there, done that, lol. I have sympathy for other moms and dads when I see a child having a fit in public, if I even notice it, lol...being a ped nurse for so long, crying kids is something I'm a bit immune to, lol. But like you said, you do the best you can, and that's it. Really annoying when people who have never walked a mile as a mother or father act so judgemental. Makes me want to be a fly on the wall when they DO have kids, and see what they do when their little angels throw a shit fit somewhere

[yak]

The little girls mom should have kicked the dude in the balls. What an asshole. Everyone is supposed to know that you don't smack someone elses child.

It's a no-brainer that you simply don't do that, and the anger from any parent is well noted. However, the way laws are skewed nowadays, it wouldn't be a surprise if authorities had hauled the parent away. Hopefully they put this derelict away, for a long time, because he obviously hates and has no tolerance for children.

[yak]

Some kids may NEED to be slapped (not in this case from all accounts) but NO ONE should EVER touch someone else's child. That guy should've had his lower lip tucked into the back of his pants.

Slapping a kid never solves anything; doesn't give him any self-esteem; rather it takes it away. A much better way is taking away a privilege, and not giving in. Works way better, and works every time.

Agree about the guy though. Maybe he was slapped as a child, and that's all he knows. See?

[Red13JoePa]

Yak!
Nothing to contribute to the perry forum?

[T-Bone]

On a serious note... If ANYONE ever came up to my daughter and slapped her like that, they'd be leaving that store on a stretcher and be sucking food through a straw the rest of their life. I understand that a crying kid isn't always pleasent, and even worse, a parent that doesn't do anything to help/solve the situation, but still the same, it's not your place to butt in.

[yak]

Yak!
Nothing to contribute to the perry forum?

Already been there.

[CatEyes]

...but did suffer some redness in the face. She was treated at the scene and released, the report said.

How do you treat redness in the face?

cold compress.

[Rockindeano]

i'm with you deb. anyone touches my boy, watch out! wyatt is displaying the terrible twos, such a pleasant time..... anyway, if he tantrums, screams, whatever, i scoop him up and take him away to avoid bothering the general public.

I don't mind it at all. I preach to Wyman, to beat the living shit out of whatever you're beating up, and don't let that fucker up. I dressed his Elmo in Calgary Flame gear and he basically bloodied him up and assraped that poor Muppet.

[Deb]

i'm with you deb. anyone touches my boy, watch out! wyatt is displaying the terrible twos, such a pleasant time..... anyway, if he tantrums, screams, whatever, i scoop him up and take him away to avoid bothering the general public.

I don't mind it at all. I preach to Wyman, to beat the living shit out of whatever you're beating up, and don't let that fucker up. I dressed his Elmo in Calgary Flame gear and he basically bloodied him up and assraped that poor Muppet.

LOL, that would almost be believable, except the part about you actually owning any Flames gear, let alone dressing lil' Wy-man in it.

[Suzanne]

Holy crap! If that was my daughter at 2 and some strange man came over and started slapping her in the face, look the hell out! Run like hell dude......claws would be out....it wouldn't be pretty.

Uhh, yeeeaahhhhh. He'd have been punch in that ugly mug if he'd that to my kid to say the LEAST. They'd have been locking ME up with felony assault. Old f-ing bastard. I come across screaming whiny babies all the time in stores. I walk away until I can't hear them anymore.

[Sarah]

Slapping a kid never solves anything; doesn't give him any self-esteem; rather it takes it away. A much better way is taking away a privilege, and not giving in. Works way better, and works every time.

Agree about the guy though. Maybe he was slapped as a child, and that's all he knows. See?

This.

[Voyager]

My 13 year old deserves a slap every day and may get one from me before her teen years are over, but if someone came up and did that to one of my kids, it'd be on!!!!!!!!

How was Lisa Marie when growing up? Did you ever slap her?

[YoungJRNY]

Wouldn't slapping a kid just make him/her scream and cry louder, esp at the age of 2? This is why they invent crowbars. Man if I found out about this if it were my kid, I'd grow 20ft tall, turn green and seek rage and chaos everything around me. Look at that guy.. it looks like he took a belt or two over the ass as a child.