Enraged Ohio couple hurl merchandise at book store employees for asking them to wear masks: police

Two people in Ohio have been charged with misdemeanor assault after allegedly throwing a tantrum for being asked to wear face masks in a book store.

19 News Cleveland reports that Brad Albrecht and girlfriend Shannon Francis earlier this month were asked by employees at a Cleveland Half Price Books location to leave the store if they refused to comply with its face mask policy.

Police say that Albrecht told employees that he would not leave until Francis had finished shopping for her son, and then he "started shouting at the worker and Francis threw a book, striking him in the stomach when he attempted to lead the couple" out of the store.

Albrecht then allegedly threw the worker to the ground, which resulted in a cut on their arm.

A witness who was on the scene corroborated the workers' claims about Albrecht and Francis's behavior and provided video taken of the incident to police detectives.

Albrecht later told police that he could not wear a mask in the store due to an undefined "medical condition" that seemingly posed no trouble in allowing him to allegedly assault a book store employee.