- April 23, 2024
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A Flagler Beach man was arrested early Tuesday after he started a fight with a 7-Eleven employee, brandishing a fake, plastic gun in the air and seizing the store’s phone when the employee tried to call 911.
The employee, Edward Vaught, tackled the man, Christopher Munson, and held him on the pavement outside the store until deputies arrived and detained him, according to an arrest report.
The incident began late Monday evening, when Munson came into the store and was acting suspiciously, Vaught told deputies. Vaught said he was unsure whether Munson had been stealing, but that he didn’t accuse him of doing so.
Munson left, but came back around 4 a.m. Tuesday and “appeared to be upset with what took place earlier in the evening,” the affidavit says. The two men began to argue in the gift card aisle.
When told to leave the store, Munson refused, so Vaught threatened to call the police. When Munson still didn’t leave, Vaught went behind the store’s counter to call 911, but Munson yanked the phone away, and the two men began to fight.
Vaught said he grabbed Munson and struck him several times before Munson pulled what appared tob e a black gun from his pants, aimed it at Vaught, and threatened to shoot. Vaught then rushed around counter and tackled Munson.
A witness who saw the two men fighting inside came to assist and kicked the gun out of Munson’s hands.
A Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrived on scene and found Vaught holding Munson, who was bleeding from the mouth, to the ground. The deputy took the gun, which he described as a “plastic, toy-like product” into evidence. He also reviewed surveillance video from the store and found it consistent with Vaught’s story.
Munson was arrested on charges of robbery by sudden snatching and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was booked into the Flagler County Inmate Facility, where he remained Tuesday afternoon on $10,000 bond.
