Michigan Woman Allegedly Attacks Grocery Store Employees, Spits on Police Officers

A Roseville, Michigan woman was arrested for allegedly assaulting a Nino Salvaggio grocery store employee after the employee asked her to leave because she was not wearing a face mask. Kristin Hoff, 33, allegedly spit on police officers as they took her into custody on April 27. Last week, prosecutors charged Hoff with assaulting a police officer, a felony, and assault and battery, and refusal to submit to fingerprinting, both misdemeanors.

Hoff tried to enter the grocery store in St. Clair Shores, Michigan when an employee asked her to leave because she came in without a face mask, reports the Macomb Daily. According to prosecutors, she physically assaulted the employee and would not leave until police were called. When the officers took her into custody, Hoff allegedly behaved "erratically," pitting and attacking the officers. She was held on $500 bond, which she posted on May 1, the same day she was arraigned, reports the Detroit Free Press.

"During this unprecedented time, we know tensions are running high," Macomb County Acting Prosecutor Jean Cloud said in a statement. "Patience and understanding are greatly encouraged as we all try our best to acclimate to the new and often- changing expectations. However, the repeated inappropriate behavior of this suspect cannot be tolerated. This suspect's repeated actions clearly demonstrated a willful disregard of the safety of those around her."

Hoff ran for Roseville mayor in 2017. She lost to Mayor Robert Taylor and received 25 percent of the vote. She was arrested two days after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order requiring all Michigan residents to wear face masks in public spaces to help slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Nino Salvaggio is a grocery store chain focusing on international foods. The chain has four stores, all in Michigan. On the day after Whitmer signed her executive order, the chain issued a statement on its Facebook page, telling customers they will have to comply with it.

"Please be advised that as of today, per the state requirement, all customers must be wearing a face covering of some sort - to include nose and mouth," the chain's statement on Facebook read. "Excluded are those that cannot do so for medical reasons. We ask everybody to please help us maintain the safest shopping environment possible by ensuring that you follow these guidelines."

Elsewhere in Michigan, two men were arrested in the shooting of a Flint Family Dollar security guard Calvin Munerlyn on May 1, reports the Free Press. Larry Teague was arrested Thursday and Ramonyea Bishop was arrested Friday in Texas, and both are expected to be arraigned on first-degree murder charges. Sharmel Teauge, Teague's wife and Bishop's mother, was previously arrested and arraigned on the same charge. Munerlyn enforced the face mask policy and told Sharmel her daughter needed one to enter the store. Sharmel started an altercation and yelled at Munerlyn, officials said. Sharmel left the store and called Teague, who arrived at the store with Bishop, who shot the guard in the back of the head. Prosecutors said the shooting was caught on surveillance footage.