A storeowner in Charlotte, N.C. decided to take it upon himself to confront a Black woman he accused of trying to steal a box of eyelashes. The altercation was recorded on cell phone video and shows the owner, Sung Ho Lim, wrestling the woman to the ground then placing her into a chokehold. 

WBTV, a local news station, contacted Lim about the video and he confirmed that it was of him. However, he argued that it also didn’t show the alleged theft that sparked the confrontation.

The still unidentified woman can be heard saying, “Check my bag, I don’t have anything.”

Protestors  gathered to hold demonstrations outside of the store on Sunday, along with help from the local chapter of the NAACP, which released video footage of the incident.

“You cannot take police matters in your own hands. You can’t act like the police,” civil rights activist John C. Barnett said. “Whatever the case may be, we know he cannot be keeping someone in a choke hold, stealing or not.

Lim reportedly met with the protestors and apologized for the role he played.

“I don’t know, it just happened. I went crazy,” Lim said. “No matter what the reason, I feel very sorry to her and to them.” He said that he planned on apologizing to the woman on Monday.

Despite the apology, local activists feel that Lim needs to do more.

“Guess what, we are the ones who go to his store on a regular basis, and allow his family to live a good quality of life,” said Min. Corine Mack, president of the Charlotte branch of the NAACP.

Photo Credit: YouTube