SEVEN HILLS, Ohio — A Broadview Heights man is facing an assault charge after police said he attacked a 3-year-old boy inside a Meijer store in Seven Hills on Wednesday morning.
According to Seven Hills police, the 37-year-old suspect allegedly ran up behind the child around 10:30 a.m. and smashed the boy's face into the spikes of a shopping cart.
Witnesses told officers he struck the boy's face at least three times before the child's mother and aunt grabbed their children and tried to escape through the store. They told police they were afraid for their lives.
Police said the child sustained scratches on his neck and behind his right ear, along with a bleeding cut on his nose.
An off-duty security officer drew his concealed weapon and ordered the man to the ground. Police said the man did not comply and instead threw merchandise around the store before being restrained.
Officers took the man into custody without further incident.
The man's social worker told officers that he is nonverbal and autistic. Police cited him for assault. He was released on a $375 bond and is scheduled to appear in Parma Municipal Court on Nov. 19.
In a statement, Meijer said it was aware of the incident at its Seven Hills location and is cooperating with the Seven Hills Police Department as they investigate.
Seven Hills Mayor Anthony D. Biasiotta issued a statement.
"Yesterday late morning there was an incident at Meijer in Seven Hills," Biasiotta said. "Seven Hills police arrested one person for assault. The investigation is ongoing. Once the investigation is completed the matter will be handed over to the prosecutor. At that time, additional charges may or may not be brought forward.Since the investigation is ongoing there will be no further comment at this time."
The incident has prompted concern among residents and shoppers in the area.
Authorities have not reported any additional injuries.
Police said they are continuing to investigate the case and are reviewing store surveillance footage as part of the evidence.
The Off-Duty Security Officer's Perspective
Aaron Court, a new dad and local security officer who was off duty at the time, was at the Meijer in Seven Hills shopping for baby wipes.
"It's just supposed to be a normal day for me," he said.
Court said, all of a sudden, he heard screaming from other shoppers and someone yelling, "He has a knife!"
He said he thought it could have been a terrorist attack.
"All I could think is I need to go home. I'm going to survive this ordeal one way or another. My wife and child are waiting for me at home," Court said.
But Court said he sprang into action.
"Without even thinking, I exited the aisle, looked over and I saw a man chasing a crowd of people," said Court. "Before I knew it, I had my concealed carry firearm out. I was yelling at him to get on the ground. He had his hands in his pockets. He did stop chasing the crowd. I remember he turned around and looked at me and grabbed a a shelf and slammed it on the ground."
According to Court, he and another bystander circled him to make sure he wouldn't hurt anyone else.
911 was immediately called, he said.
"What was going through your mind when you heard the screaming? Like, what made you run towards it rather than away from it?" News 5's Kaylee Olivas asked Court on Thursday.
"I thought I was gonna die. Genuinely, I don't know why I ran towards the screaming," said Court. "It was like I was watching myself do stuff, I don't even know what I was doing. Yeah, more so just acted out of, out of fight or flight and I guess I chose fight."
He said his fear quickly turned into anger in that moment.
"Like why would you put me in this situation? Why are you doing this? My thought throughout the majority of this was like, 'Please, just don't make me shoot you. Like, I don't wanna kill somebody today,'" Court said.
Court is a staff sergeant in the Army and has been a military police officer for several years. He's also worked in corrections and other law enforcement.
"It kind of scared me. It's like I automatically did what I needed to do and then when I came to, I was there with my gun pointed at another person," said Court. "I've been through some pretty critical incidents. Never just out in public on my own. I was really taken off guard by that."
The toddler's mom and aunt have since posted to social media expressing their gratitude for Court's heroism and for "saving their lives."
"Do you feel like a hero?," Olivas asked Court.
"No, I don't feel like a hero. I just kinda was there at the right time by chance. I guess a lot of things had to line up for me to be at the store that day and I was just there," Court responded.
I'm positive that guy was just trying to kill somebody. He was gunning for that child. I had that thought in the back of my head like this guy is trying to kill somebody. I didn't know what had happened leading before. I just knew that he had committed some act of violence and he needed to be stopped.
Once Court was made aware of the suspect's special needs by a social worker, though, he said he put his gun down.
"If he's not committing any more acts of violence like, maybe this isn't needed. Eventually, I did put my firearm away. I called 911 myself as well," Court said.
Court has spoken with the toddler's family since the terrifying incident, and he said they were very thankful for his help.
"I just hope they're doing all right. That was probably one of the most traumatic events in their life, you know, and I hope that they do well moving forward," Court said.
Court's mom told us she's proud of him.
"He's always been a protector," she told Olivas via text.
