75-Year-Old Pulls Box Cutter After Beer, Chicken Heist: MNPD

NASHVILLE, TN -- A 75-year-old Nashville man allegedly threatened Kroger employees with a box cutter after they stopped him for trying to steal beer and chicken.

Friday night, Thomas Mitchell tried walking out of the grocery store with pilfered beer and fried chicken inside a plastic bag and was confronted by two Kroger employees, according to a police report. He then swung a red box cutter at the two men, but the confrontation created enough of a distraction to allow a third worker to retrieve the stolen beer and chicken.

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Mitchell then allegedly ran from the store, but the employees were able to flag down a passing Metro Police officer who then took Mitchell into custody. He was still carrying the box cutter, according to an affidavit.

Mitchell is charged with theft under $1,000 - the beer and chicken were valued at $18 - and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

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