A Black couple visiting a Rural King farm supply store in North Carolina last week were attacked by several white men in an incident believed to be racially motivated.
The altercation, which erupted after accusations of shoplifting, led to a violent confrontation that was captured on video, culminating in the arrest of two people, according to reports.
Footage of the violent episode has been circulating on social media for several days, showing a group of white men surrounding the pair before one of them placed Renard Kiah Legette Edwards in a chokehold while his girlfriend, Isis Bell, frantically tried to separate them as they tussled on the floor.
The incident occurred on Jan. 7 at the Rural King in Conover, where employees stood by, refusing to intervene as the confrontation escalated. It’s still not clear how the fight started nor the circumstances that led to the disturbing scene near the registers.
The fight took a darker turn when Edwards began repeating, “I can’t breathe!” as one of the assailants tightened an arm lock around the man’s neck.
The video was shared on Facebook by 19-year-old Jacob Isaiah Evans, who added his own stinging commentary that ridiculed Edwards as he pleaded for help.
Evans sparked even more outrage when he compared the situation to George Floyd’s tragic final moments in May 2020, when Floyd begged for his life as Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nine minutes — killing Floyd and leading to Chauvin’s conviction for murder the following year.
In the video from Rural King, Edwards can be seen on the ground as his girlfriend attempts to defend him from the attackers. A white man in a plaid shirt and glasses grabbed Edwards by the neck from behind, eventually forcing him to the floor in the sleeper hold.
While restrained, Edwards began pleading, “I can’t breathe,” as the others in the group stood ready to jump in if necessary. Bell could be heard saying she was going to get something, though it’s not clear what, as Edwards struggled to get his words out, saying, “Bae, don’t leave me.”
An employee at the scene could be heard on the video telling Bell and Edwards to get out, but Bell shot back angrily that the vigilantes were blocking them from leaving.
One of the employees stepped into the fray with a cellphone to his ear, presumably calling the police while claiming Edwards and Bell had been shoplifting and basically condoning the aggressive actions being taken.
As the scuffle continued, Edwards broke free for a moment, but the man in the plaid shirt grabbed him by the neck again, holding on even as Edwards stood. Bell persisted in her efforts to free her boyfriend, but the group kept him surrounded and held her at bay.
Later, after Conover Police arrived, Edwards was swiftly detained, with no attempt made to provide medical aid. While being handcuffed, Edwards claimed the group had taken his phone and attempted to kill him.
Back on social media, Evans expressed his satisfaction with the “community” stepping in to “stop this sh-t,” referring to the altercation involving Edwards and Bell, calling them “colored” and implying they had shoplifted despite no evidence to support this claim.
“They could’ve just let them run out with a buggy full of Milwaukee tools like Walmart would have done, but no, we didn’t… nobody did,” Evans said, aligning himself with the white people in the video.
Evans further claimed that people were upset because he had referred to the couple as animals while also criticizing Bell’s emotional response and questioning her actions to protect her boyfriend.
“Did you see the woman in the video, swinging and grabbing on everybody?” he asked. “They were detained and put under citizen’s arrest.”
Evans then falsely asserted that George Floyd died from drug use rather than from the brutal actions of Derek Chauvin, despite Chauvin being found guilty by a jury.
“But… you come to a small town and do sh-t like this… you’re going to f—k around and find out,” he said.
Those who viewed the video expressed more outrage over Evans’ commentary than the incident itself, leading to a virtual beatdown on Instagram.
“Damn, he 19, he looks 40,” someone else observed with the crying laughing emoji.
Many voices accused Evans of racism, saying he was choosing sides in the episode simply based on skin color.
“Referring to black people as colored and then claiming not to be racist is insane,” someone wrote, while others made crude references to “hillbillies” and “inbreeding.”
It remains unclear whether the accusations against the couple were valid or if they would face any charges.
The incident comes a month after the acquittal of Daniel Penny in the choking death of Jordan Neely on a New York subway in 2023. Penny, a white man, had intervened after Neely, who was Black, began acting erratically in a subway car. Penny maintained his innocence, saying he acted selflessly to protect other passengers when he held Neely in a headlock until he lost consciousness and died. The jury agreed.
Notably, Penny employed the same type of chokehold used on Edwards during the Rural King incident, though Edwards survived the encounter.
