Police Rush To Store After Report Of Armed Subject, Man Charged

Police vehicles lined up.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com

Police responded to a local grocery store last week after a report of an armed man who was making threats.

Around 8 p.m. last Wednesday, Middletown Township police were dispatched to the Giant Food Store on North Flowers Mill Road after receiving the reports, according to court papers.

According to police, officers discovered 61-year-old Philadelphia resident Majid Ali being restrained by a worker of the Giant Food Store.

A store employee informed the officers that Ali had been caught shoplifting various items and was attempting to load the stolen goods into his Lincoln MK7, police said.

The Giant Food Store at the The Shoppes at Flowers Mill. File photo.

The incident escalated when the employee confronted Ali.

Initially, Ali admitted to the shoplifting, but as the employee attempted to recover the merchandise, Ali became aggressive and attempted to physically stop the employee, the worker alleged to police.

As the confrontation was happening, Ali threatened the employee and claimed he possessed a gun and intended to shoot the worker. Ali reached into his vehicle and began rummaging through the glove compartment, the employee told police.

A bystander witnessing the incident called 9-1-1 to get officers to the store.

Ali had his hand in his pocket and charged at the employee, police said.

The worker feared for his life and believed Ali to be armed, police said.

Police did not release whether Ali had a firearm.

Police obtained store security footage and alleged that Ali walked out with $138.47 worth of goods.

Ali was charged with three counts of robbery and one count of terroristic threats. He was preliminarily arraigned by on-call District Judge Mark Douple and held on 10 percent of $75,000 bail. He later received a bail decrease from a Bucks County Court of Common Pleas judge and posted 10 percent of $20,000 bail.

Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.