Cheers staff gets slammed online after calling police for help and accusing officers of 'thug-like' behaviour

[UPDATE Jan 4, 6.40pm]

In a Facebook post today, Cheers said that it has instructed their franchisee at Lau Pa Sat "to dismiss the staff involved" after assessing the incident and speaking with the staff. 

"We require all staff to offer full co-operation and compliance with the authorities, and we do not tolerate acts from staff that undermine the authority of the Police.

"We appreciate the feedback and concern that we've received from the public on the matter, and we sincerely apologise for the distress caused," said Cheers. 

A series of videos showing a heated confrontation between a convenience store staff and three police officers has recently made its rounds on the internet, sparking public outrage.

On Jan 1, the man, who goes by Confederateginger on TikTok, uploaded five videos detailing his encounter with the police inside a Cheers outlet at Lau Pa Sat, where he works. 

He said he had called the police because a customer allegedly used vulgarities on him. The customer also claimed he was a police officer. 

The police arrived at the store and all went well until one of the officers asked the man for his identification. 

"I'm a staff here, I am protected by my boss' camera [in the store], so I don't need to give you my ID," he said in the video. 

Although the police insisted that they needed to see his identification card, the man continued to refuse to hand over his NRIC, saying that he did not commit an offence.

The officers also repeatedly asked him to stop recording their conversation on his phone, but their warnings fell on deaf ears.

In the second video, the situation escalated when the man asked if there had been a police report filed against him. 

While asking the man questions, the police officers told some customers to return to the shop later as they were conducting investigations. 

The staff was subsequently seen rushing forward to get the customers back, arguing that business could not be disrupted. 

Eventually, the police managed to obtain the man's identification card. Two of them left the store to make a phone call, which agitated the man. 

"SPF thug-like behaviour," he captioned his third video. 

The man's first video has since amassed more than 900,000 views and almost 2,000 comments, several of which criticised his refusal to cooperate with the police. 

Man put on administrative leave: Cheers

Responding to the incident, Cheers said in a statement on Monday that the staff involved has been "counselled" and "put on administrative leave pending further investigation". 

The convenience store chain also thanked the public for their concern and apologised for any distress that the incident has caused. 

Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the police said they were alerted to a dispute at 8.05pm on Jan 1. No injuries were reported. 

Preliminary investigations revealed that comments about race and nationality, as well as verbal threats, were allegedly exchanged prior to the police's arrival. 

Two men, aged 29 and 64, are assisting with police investigations.

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claudiatan@asiaone.com