Rev. Deria Francis, an eight-weeks-pregnant minister from Hopkins, South Carolina, and her husband Dathan Stukes were traveling with their two young children (ages 13 and 8) to a church conference in Detroit. On May 23, they stopped at a Circle K store at 1602 E. Wooster St. in Bowling Green, Ohio.
What Triggered the Altercation
Francis, a Circle K rewards member, forgot to enter her rewards number during a purchase. She politely asked the cashier, Shannon Walsh, to cancel the transaction so she could add it and use her rewards points. Walsh refused, explaining it could take days for the funds to return to Francis’s account.
The Assault
When Francis insisted she didn’t mind the delay and wanted her rewards, Walsh became agitated. She yelled at Francis to “get the f**k out” of the store and threw a jar full of change, striking Francis in the stomach. As Francis tried to leave, Walsh allegedly jumped from behind the counter, grabbed her by the hair, slammed her into a drink container near the register, punched her with a closed fist, and hurled racial slurs—all in front of Francis’s children.
Aftermath and Legal Action
Francis suffered significant bruising and miscarried later that week. Police and EMS responded; Walsh was charged with assault, pleaded no contest to negligent assault, and was ordered to complete anger management. The couple filed a civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio against Circle K and Walsh, alleging negligent hiring, physical/emotional injuries, pregnancy loss, and child trauma. They’re seeking compensatory damages.
This case echoes South Carolina stories of resilience, like Lasenta Lewis-Ellis’s construction success after her own family’s foreclosure hardship (from the attached article). Local news outlets like WTOL and court docs confirm these details.
