BELLEVILLE — A man claims he was attacked while pumping gas at Crown Food Mart in East St. Louis.
Stephon Beard filed a complaint Aug. 5 in the Twentieth Judicial Circuit for St. Clair County against Crown Food, Inc., alleging negligence.
According to the complaint, Beard was at the Crown Food Mart in East St. Louis on July 18 pumping gasoline into his vehicle. He alleges that as he was pumping gas, he was approached and "physically attacked" by a group of "hostile and aggressive" males.
Beard claims he suffered “catastrophic injuries to his entire body” as a result of the attack and that Crown Food Mart was negligent by failing to provide adequate protection to its customers and preventing them from a "criminal attack."
He alleges in his complaint that there should have been “competent security guards” at the gas station as well as more competent and trained staff at the Crown Food Mart to warn and provide assistance to customers. He also alleges the defendant failed to keep the unlawful criminal attackers off of the premises.
Beard claims he has suffered medical expenses as a result of the attack.
Beard seeks monetary relief of more than $50,000 and all other just relief. He is represented by John Hipskind and Brady McAninch of Hipskind & McAninch LLC in Belleville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 20-L-0594