BLUE ASH, Ohio — Surveillance footage from a Target store in Blue Ash, Ohio, captured the moment a loss prevention manager punched a woman who police say was instigating an altercation while requesting reparations for her purchase.
According to a police report from the Blue Ash Police Department, 37-year-old Karen Ivery was charged with menacing and disorderly conduct.
During the October 2022 altercation, Ivery said she wanted a portion of her Target purchase to be paid for as reparations. During the incident, a manager is seen on surveillance, which has no audio, punching Ivery once before police arrive.
According to an affidavit, the 37-year-old allegedly caused the manager to fear for his safety. The manager was never charged because police said he was acting in self-defense.
Security footage shows Ivery first arguing with a Target employee near the checkout lanes. The employee continues to back up and attempts to stop Ivery by putting her hands against her shoulders.
The police report details that Ivery "wanted to have a conversation about her bill," which cost more than $1,000. Target employees that spoke with police said Ivery claimed she was owed reparations and she wanted Target to supply those.
The manager is then seen approaching Ivery in the surveillance footage. According to the police report, the manager asked Ivery to "calm down and leave the store," but she started screaming at him. As Ivery continues to walk toward the manager, he is seen backing up toward his office.
The manager said he attempted to close his office door, according to the police report, but Ivery entered. The surveillance footage shows the manager punching her once in the face, with Ivery falling to the ground. He then calls 911.
In a report, police said they found Ivery to be the aggressor in the situation after watching video footage.
Ivery told police she wanted to have a bigger discussion about money and wanted Target to compensate her for the items she attempted to buy but could not afford.
"I was trying to have a hard conversation in a safe place," Ivery said.
In her discussion with an officer, Ivery compared herself to Rosa Parks.
"This is my Rosa Parks moment, dude," Ivery said. "Don't play with me."
When a manager tells Ivery that she is no longer allowed at Target, she becomes visibly upset.
As Ivery explains her frustrations to the officers, she is then told that she is being charged. When she is taken into custody, she claims that the officers are violating her rights as a human being in order to uphold the law.
Ivery was convicted of disorderly conduct but acquitted of menacing. She was sentenced to one day at the Hamilton County Justice Center.
This story was originally reported by Scripps News Cincinnati
