TX Deaf Man Attacked by Store Clerk: He Was Too Silent
His silence mistaken, deaf man attacked
By ALEX BRANCH
Star-Telegram staff writer
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A store cashier struck a deaf customer in the head with a crowbar after he mistook the man’s silence for rudeness and disrespect, police said.
The cashier, Ricky Benard Young, 20, faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The customer, Cody Goodnight, 31, suffered “a large knot” on his head during the incident, which occurred Saturday at the Family Dollar Store at 4117 E. Lancaster Ave.  To read the full article, click on the link. Star-Telegram.com | 10/05/2007 | His silence mistaken, deaf man attacked
Commentary: This takes the cake!  This isn’t the first time a deaf person was attacked due to deafness. I recall some years ago a Radio Shack clerk beating up a Deaf customer. Which was pretty bad.. but a crow bar? I hope he gets thrown in the slammer for an unprovoked assault with deadly weapon!
Why was the tape from the security camera erased or ‘taped’ over? I think the police should add an obstruction charge, too.
It’s bad enough that the deaf people have to field attacks from gang members and police due to misunderstandings and communication breakdowns, but store clerks?  MZ
His silence mistaken, deaf man attacked
By ALEX BRANCH
Star-Telegram staff writer
Â
A store cashier struck a deaf customer in the head with a crowbar after he mistook the man’s silence for rudeness and disrespect, police said.
The cashier, Ricky Benard Young, 20, faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The customer, Cody Goodnight, 31, suffered “a large knot” on his head during the incident, which occurred Saturday at the Family Dollar Store at 4117 E. Lancaster Ave.  To read the full article, click on the link. Star-Telegram.com | 10/05/2007 | His silence mistaken, deaf man attacked
Commentary: This takes the cake!  This isn’t the first time a deaf person was attacked due to deafness. I recall some years ago a Radio Shack clerk beating up a Deaf customer. Which was pretty bad.. but a crow bar? I hope he gets thrown in the slammer for an unprovoked assault with deadly weapon!
Why was the tape from the security camera erased or ‘taped’ over? I think the police should add an obstruction charge, too.
It’s bad enough that the deaf people have to field attacks from gang members and police due to misunderstandings and communication breakdowns, but store clerks?  MZ
October 5th, 2007 at 11:40 am
Wow! That’s bitch the cashier have no right to assulted him if Cody is really native.
I am glad the police charged him for assulted on Cody and but why the tape has been erased. That’s something they avoid to troubled and erased off by on purposed. I am really sick of hearing assulted by people
MZ, you are right they should charged the store for erased.
I agree with you about these. It made us unhappy what is the world have no sense of assulted or whatever the crime was about.
October 5th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Coincidentally, I have the ASL translation in process of being compressed right now. It should be out in about 4 or 5 hours later :).
October 5th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
Funny thing about the clerk took in charge to beat the deaf guy… I recalled a few strange reactions from the hearing people who thought I should not even exist because I am deaf. Some older hearing people who are familiar with the deaf people urgently had to explain what I was. Those ignorant hearies were in their twenties mostly. Do we miss out while they were growing up? Isn’t it an epidemic among our young generation?
deafk
October 5th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Oh poor him! Hope he gets a speedy recovery from this.
October 5th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
Its very shame that its happening. I think that all store clerks need to be trained about how to interact with customers. There are some rude customers, but clerks still need to be friendly. Hitting on this deaf customer was absolutely unnecessary just because he was silent. I hope that the clerk is fired and be charged for assaulting.
October 5th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
I hope this clerk gets his sorry rear thrown in prison. With that outrageous reaction, you really have to wonder about the dude’s mental stability…
October 5th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Cody Goodnight ought to SUE this store clerk for multi-million dollars! Cody probably will get head concussions from time to time later in his life.
Let’s prank hir store to teach a real lesson on Halloweeen Day. Throw stinky rotten eggs at that damn store clerk!
No one f**k with deaf people!
Robert L. Mason
October 5th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Jeepers. We have to deal with the occasional psychotic jerk who takes silence as a personal insult, and it doesn’t matter if it is police, gang member, or store clerk. Anybody at all, really.
Keep eyes open and always be aware of your surroundings. With a small child, as Goodnight probably did, it could be difficult but still lifesaving. He was lucky to get away with a lump on his head…a crowbar, indeed!
I was just remembering many incidents when a person suddenly behaved rudely toward me, as this clerk did in throwing change at Goodnight. So that could be why…I was not responding to their speaking to me! From now on, I’ll not be absent-minded or preoccupied when around people.
October 5th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
video at
http://cbs11tv.com/video/?id=21741@ktvt.dayport.com
October 5th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
I wonder why his family translated for him with the cops? Shouldn’t they have hired a professional interpreter?
October 5th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
[...] Stupid Can People Be…? Posted by A Deaf Pundit under Deafness Jamie Berke and Mishka Zena broke the story on the blogs about a Deaf man in Texas who was assaulted by a store clerk. The news [...]
October 5th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
What a nitwit clerk. No one should hit a customer like that unless it’s life threatening, really.
RLM, we have class so I disapprove of your tactics.
October 5th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
I am appalled at the store clerk who took it upon himself to attack the silent deaf gentleman with a crowbar! It is totally uncalled for. That store clerk should be fired from his job, and be charged hefty for what he had done! I can’t imagine getting a huge knot in my head…possibly get the cracked skull from that blow! Poor guy. I hope he will sue for million dollars for that action!
October 5th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
I am just in total disbelief here…
“Hey how are you today?”
*silence*
“Hello??!! I said, HOW ARE YOU?!!”
*silence*
$#!!%&!!!
*thuds to floor*
I think ALL businesses should have sensitive training.
I hope Young gets thrown in jail for this, too - it’s an appropriate punishment.
October 5th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
I remember one time I turned my back around to find an angry guy yelling at me “Whatcha matter with you? You deaf or what?” as he moved the baby stroller around me. Looking at him calmly, I said “Yes, I am deaf.”. He looked angrier, as if he didn’t believe me, and walked away. At that moment, I’ve wondered how many times people spoke to me with my back to them and I remained clueless.
Obviously this clerk has a serious problem with anger management. Why would a clerk have a crowbar behind the counter?
October 5th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
For the same reason some storekeepers have guns behind the counter…for protection. Sometimes it’s just a baseball bat. Lucky for Goodnight it wasn’t the gun.
It is always a shock to turn around and find oneself being yelled at in public and other people looking at you as if you had committed a major sin.
One of these days I might find myself signing back, “Same to you, you stupid nitwit hearing jerk.” So far, I have been remarkably successful in throttling that impulse.
October 5th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
MZ,
It did happened me back in 1985 when I accidently dropped a pen on the guy’s desk. I never threw him at all. Somehow I walked to outside. I was calm down after dropped the pen on his desk simply. but he ran and shaked me hard and I said What? I dont really know what was going on. I found out that he is fake and abused on other people in low income apartment. I decide to moved out because of nearly assulted me after I found a new job.
I would not go back low income. that’s sucker!
M~
October 5th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
Concealed weapons license can come in handy. A guy with a crowbar is not something to take lightly.
You may need to use a weapon to stop the person from killing you. It is sad but it is a reality.
If a guy comes to me with a crowbar and yes, I will shoot that person because most places you cannot get out of danger quickly and I have to protect myself from crazy people like that.
October 5th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
I passed a “Family Dollar” store in my town tonight and thought of this sickening report!
October 5th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Dang! I just shopped at one of Family Dollar Stores. I better return things!
October 5th, 2007 at 10:39 pm
scary … wondering what they say behind my back.
October 6th, 2007 at 6:36 am
Erased? Let’s erase ourself off from Dollar Family stores, we no longer their customers by sends your thoughts to http://www.familydollar.com/contact.aspx
October 6th, 2007 at 6:51 am
To #18,
I’m glad that there’s no gun on cashier’s hand! Otherwise, the deaf customer would be dead!
The cashier sure had a pea sized brain!
October 6th, 2007 at 8:44 am
Yeah, the clerk is very lucky that the customer didn’t have a permit for concealed gun. He would end up shot dead! Did he think of that? I bet he didn’t.
John, that’s a good idea. We don’t see any public apology from Dollar Family Headquarter. Why are they quiet? If it was an African American, there would be a huge media coverage and HQ issuing mea culpae!
October 6th, 2007 at 9:34 am
That’s a classic Texas redneck.
October 6th, 2007 at 10:01 am
what’s the article link to radio shack clerk attacked deaf few years ago. I cant find info about it?
October 6th, 2007 at 11:12 am
I won’t go to Family dollar again .. I usually go there for my Art studio renovation. Such as Tape, Trash bags and etc. I know it is isolated incident but … gee. The people go crazy these days. I don’t like Radio shack .. Too shabby shacky.
October 6th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
Not only has this happened, before, it has happened to me - and in Dallas, TX, where I lived from 1987 - 1993.
I was standing at the magazine rack, waiting for a long line of people to thin at the front, when the manager grabbed the non-pornographic magazine,
I was reading,
“I ASKED YOU THREE TIMES TO STOP READING THAT MAGAINZE,” she screamed.
“Sorry lady, I didn’t hear you…I’M DEAF!!!” I shot back, before I turned and walked out.
October 6th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
I know the store there, it is in bad neighborhood and there are weird people going into that store. You will have to keep your eyes open at all times.
I have had a bad moment with a hearing person at Walmart. A lady hit my shoulder with her own shoulder while I was looking for something just because I didn’t move for her to get through. It did hurt a bit and I frowned at the lady. She was mad and saying something to me so I said loudly, I AM DEAF, DUH! She was astonished and apologized.
It seemed like as if the term “deaf” has not enter their mind ever…
October 6th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
Aren’t we in twilight zone?? deafk
October 6th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
Awesome, there were several articles over the years. I did try to google it, but I guess it was so long ago as I didn’t have any luck finding the information.
This one I know for sure: The deaf guy won the lawsuit he filed against Radio Shack.
I couldn’t remember exactly what happened. I think there was a problem about a pen.. the clerk being upset when the deaf person asked for the pen and the cashier attacked the deaf guy with his fists. Maybe someone else will remember this particular incident. I think it happened in mid 90’s.
October 6th, 2007 at 9:20 pm
Texas is not the only state where the deaf man had been attacked by the clerk. I was thrown with rocks in Washington state by someone when I was not resposning. I have been watching over my shoulder.
October 6th, 2007 at 10:37 pm
Lisa yeah it happened here too .. I remember I was told that the One of the mental health workers who is an angry B****hy hearing signer literally threw a pencil across the hallway at the Deaf patient for her attention. As she turned around whoa ….. nearly hit one of her eyes! The staff has no patience walking with her two legs! The Deaf patient who has both limited intelligence and education background got furious with her. The staff was ordered to take time off for a while. Some hearing people know and some don’t. Attacking or even provoking a Deaf person or whoever is not acceptable!
October 7th, 2007 at 11:03 am
Well Dang! this guy should have get lawyer and sue the heck out of dollar store. he should have gone to CNN news about this. this should be wake up call. if he went on news about it for sure he will get a hot shot lawyer.
October 8th, 2007 at 1:07 am
Deaf people have to be alert around public and check see if someone try talk to you. Yeah lots of trouble to do.
October 8th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
I had to do some christmas shopping at bovsoc’s store. the lady tried to ask me some question behind my back and i was looking at toys … i feel my guts that she was talking to me then i lokked around and she was very angry and yelling at me .. I was scared and confused … I tried to tell her that i am deaf and didnt hear what she have said to me … she didnt believe me and walked away … i was upset ! cuz i was unexpectly handled this situation … good thing she didnt hit me or anything …
October 9th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
Check out his blogsite!
http://deafnetwork.com/wordpress/blog/2007/10/09/check-out-cody-goodnight-website/
gwlj
December 25th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
I think that all Family Dollar Stores should have security with a 0 rating. stores that have been robbed twice by the same man should be the first on the list.
August 5th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Hey guys. I really want to apologize for the actions of the hearing community. I’m able to hear, but I don’t act like these people. They’re unintelligent, and that’s not how everyone in the hearing community acts. I’m sorry that you have met any of these baffoons. It is truly unfortunate. But I know that you have run across the occasional friendly person, and that makes me happy. My co-worker just said that he wishes he was in the store with the deaf guy so that he could take the crowbar and beat the attendant over the head with it. That’s absolutely absurd. I was researching deaf beatings. Gang members killed two deaf people because they thought they were throwing up gang signs. That’s ludicrous. There are good people in the hearing community. Thank you for taking time to read my apology on behalf of other hearing people.