Outrage emerged online after a Florida Instacart shopper was seen in a video appearing to slap a child after he dropped an order she had forced him to carry.
The individual who placed the order witnessed the incident through their Ring camera. The footage was later shared online, where it quickly sparked outrage. In the video, the Instacart shopper is seen with a young boy accompanying her. She can be heard instructing him to carry water bottles while she carried the rest of the order.
After the bottles were placed in the boy’s hands, he appeared to struggle with their weight and began moving side to side. He then dropped the items onto the floor. Immediately afterward, the woman moved toward the boy and was seen appearing to strike him across the face, while he cried out in pain.
While the boy held his face, the shopper could be heard saying, “You are the worst. The [expletive] worst. How dare you? You are a piece of [expletive].” She then told him that he would be carrying another item. At the end of the video, a still image of the woman was shown.
The customer contacted police and filed a report regarding the incident. A friend later shared the video on their behalf and asked the public to help identify the woman involved. In a subsequent update, the friend said that police had gone to obtain footage related to the shopper and the child she allegedly struck. She also stated that the only available option on the Instacart platform was to ban the shopper.
The friend added that police later located the shopper, though no arrests had been made at the time of the update. She also said that the Department of Children and Families and the Special Victims Unit were investigating the incident. In another video, the friend shared a news report covering the situation. The report stated that police did not respond to the news outlet’s request for comment. It was also reported that Instacart permanently banned the shopper after reviewing the video. The friend who originally shared the footage said she would continue speaking about the situation until she is assured that the child is safe.
Viewers Express Outrage At Video of Florida Instacart Shopper
The video sparked reactions online. Many viewers expressed concern after seeing the video of the Florida Instacart shopper allegedly slapping the boy. Some sympathized with the child and called for the woman to be held accountable. “He tried so hard too. That poor baby,” one person wrote. Another person said, “That was a package of bottled waters…I can barely carry those‼!”
More viewers expressed outrage following the video. One person wrote, “This makes me sick, sharing this now to spread awareness. This is NOT OKAY.” Another said, “I’m pretty sure that water weighs more than he does. This breaks my heart poor baby.” Another user added, “That poor baby I’m an adult and struggle with cases of water.. How dare he?! How very well dare she! I hope they’re found and the baby is put somewhere safe.”
The video prompted discussion online about concerns regarding how some adults may not be trusted around children. It also led to broader conversations about the importance of speaking up when witnessing something wrong, as intervention could help protect those affected.
