Owner Of Cave Creek Gift Shop Pulled Gun On Customer Wearing A Mask

The owner of a gift shop in Cave Creek, called Teeslangers, pulled a gun on a customer after an altercation regarding face masks.

The gift shop has a "no mask" policy, which led to the argument.

Scott Cerkoney, the owner of the store, contacted the Maricopa County sheriff's Office in November to report that a customer had become physical.

The report stated that Cerkoney asked the customer to leave because he was wearing a mask, and the man refused.

A witness of the altercation told AZ Family, "The gentleman that was wearing the mask basically was telling him he doesn't have to leave and they went back and forth, arguing for probably a good minute. Scott just continued to repeat himself like, 'You need to leave my store right now, I do not allow people to wear masks."

The witness described the fight. "He shoved Scott really hard, like Scott went flying back and that is when Scott pulled his gun out and simply said, 'Get out of my store right now,' so it was basically a self-defense move."

The police report shows that the man was trying to leave when Cerkoney pulled the gun.

"Regardless of anyone's opinion of the way Scott runs his store or the kind of products he's selling in his store, I think this is a completely separate issue and he shouldn't be presented as like an antagonizing violent business owner because that's not what he was doing," the witness stated.

"I also, to be honest with you, think it's a little extreme. I think Scott's a little extreme. His approach to people that come in with masks on is pretty harsh so it's probably a little provoking, but that's not to excuse the gentleman's behavior that shoved him because that's instigating violence.

Photo: Getty Images

Source: AZ Family