CBS Boston reports that on July 4, at around 7 p.m., an 18-year-old Stop & Shop employee was stabbed at the store's location on 1025 Truman Pkwy, Hyde Park, MA 02136. The employee suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to the hospital afterward.
Suspects Gerson Moreno, 21, and another unidentified man were arrested in the parking lot following the incident. They are facing charges of assault and battery and assault and battery with a deadly weapon. Both suspects were also involved in an altercation in the parking lot with three other individuals.
The motive for the stabbing was not revealed by the Boston Police.
Attorney contributor Kim Dougherty works closely with victims of violent crime in civil cases. We've asked her to share some of her knowledge on the legal options available to store stabbing victims and their families:
Business and other property owners are legally obliged to ensure the safety of all of their customers and employees. These property owners must be able to protect their patrons from preventable dangers and to do this they can offer adequate security on or around the premises. Video surveillance and security guards may suffice, but of course, there are many other alternatives. When a stabbing occurs in or around a place of business, it is important to consider whether or not adequate security was supplied by the property owner. If a store owner failed to include proper security measures on-site, property owner negligence may have played a role in the stabbing and the victim could potentially have grounds for a lawsuit.
In addition to proving inadequate security on the premises, the victim's attorney must also be able to prove that the violent crime committed was reasonably foreseeable. This means that the store owner was made aware of the area's violent history, but did not take necessary precautions. On these grounds, a victim may also have a lawsuit. Ultimately, however, inadequate security circumstances must accompany a reasonably foreseeable crime in order for a property owner to be considered liable.
If you or a loved one has been wounded or killed in a stabbing near a store, we recommend that you contact an experienced attorney immediately. You can learn more about your legal options by reaching out to one of our crime victim attorneys today.
Sources:
https://boston.cbslocal.com/2019/07/04/hyde-park-stop-and-shop-employee-stabbing-truman-parkway/