FORT MYERS, Fla. – A Florida man who threw a temper tantrum after a fellow Costco shopper asked him to wear a face mask in order to comply with the store’s policy has lost his job.
Video of the encounter was posted on Twitter by Miami-based documentary filmmaker Billy Corben on Monday and has since gone viral with more than 11 million views.
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The video shows the man, who has been identified as Daniel Maples, according to the News-Press, approaching a man who was filming with his cellphone while screaming and clenching his fists.
Warning: The video below contains graphic language. Viewer discretion is advised.
Florida man at Fort Myers Costco in "Running the World Since 1776" shirt flips out on elderly woman who asked him to wear a mask and man who defended her #BecauseFlorida (via @profjaffar) pic.twitter.com/PDOvi33qHK
— Billy Corben (@BillyCorben) July 7, 2020
“I feel threatened,” Corben yelled. “Back up. Threaten me again. Back the (expletive) up, put your (expletive) phone down.”
Corben wrote in the caption that an elderly woman asked Maples to wear a mask and the man who was filming was defending her.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Costco and many other retailers are requiring customers to wear masks while inside stores.
As the video spread online, social media users outed Maples as a sales agent at Ted Todd Insurance in Bonita Springs. Screenshots of his company bio, which has since been removed, list his “likes” as hot yoga, traveling, cooking and mentoring others.
UPDATE: The man has been identified as now former @TedToddAgency insurance salesman Daniel Maples. CEO @CharleyTodd says: "He absolutely does not represent our values and no longer works at our agency. We are working with Allstate to release a statement shortly. Wear a mask." pic.twitter.com/q5868M4igY
— Billy Corben (@BillyCorben) July 7, 2020
Ted Todd insurance took to Twitter Tuesday to address the incident.
“Thank you to everyone for their comments and messages raising awareness about a former employee at Ted Todd Insurance. Their behavior in the video is in direct conflict with our company values and their employment has been terminated,” the tweet read. “Threatening behavior and intimidation go against our core mission to be trusted advisors in our community. We are also committed to immediately reviewing our internal existing culture at TTI.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing a facial covering in public settings, including grocery stores, to prevent respiratory droplets potentially infected with COVID-19 from entering the nose or mouth.
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