Blind, disabled shopper says Kroger’s armed guards told him to leave

BROOKHAVEN, Ga. — A veteran who is blind and disabled was repeatedly told to leave a Kroger supermarket in Brookhaven while waiting for his MARTA Mobility bus, leading him to file a complaint with the grocery company.

Earl Swain, who shops at the Kroger regularly, was confronted by armed security guards after completing his grocery shopping. He was told to leave the property without being given a reason.

“It hurts. It hurts. I ain’t never been treated like that before,” Swain told Channel 2’s Tom Jones.

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“My cart was full of groceries with those two cases of water,” he said.

Swain described how he moved his cart filled with groceries, including two cases of water, after being told by a guard to leave.

“I got up, moved my little basket and moved down about 15 to 20 feet,” he said.

Another guard informed him that a manager wanted him off the property, but no explanation was provided.

"I had 20 minutes to get off the property," Swain said.

He says he asked the guard where was he supposed to go.

“He pointed and said, ‘There’s a Starbucks up there. Go sit at the Starbucks,’” Swain said.

Eventually another guard recognized his blindness and asked the other guard to back off. His MARTA Mobility bus arrived shortly thereafter.

Swain has filed a complaint with Kroger’s corporate office regarding the incident.

A Kroger spokesperson stated, “Our priority is to provide the best possible service to our customers and to respect their privacy. We are looking into this matter.”

Swain expressed his disappointment.

“I just hate that ‘cause it made me think of, I guess back in the day, how my ancestors got treated,” he said.

Swain said he hopes management will review surveillance footage to understand his treatment and plans to shop elsewhere in the future.

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