Someone Allegedly Ran Over A Quebec Walmart Guard For Enforcing Social Distancing Rules

• Someone ran over a Quebec Walmart security guard after allegedly becoming angry at him for enforcing social distancing rules.
• A fundraiser for the guard's family has raised over $75,000.
• His brother said Monday he's still in critical condition.
• Visit MTLBlog for more headlines.

Over the weekend, a security guard working at a Quebec Walmart was run over by an individual who was allegedly angry at his enforcement of social distancing rules. Saturday "at 5:00 p.m., a tragic incident took place involving one of our agents working in one of the Walmart stores in Sherbrooke," the guard's employer, TITAN Securite, wrote on Facebook. The company alleges that "the officer whose mandate was to control access in accordance with Walmart's request was intentionally struck by an enraged customer."

The agent, who TITAN has identified as Philippe Jean, is now in intensive care. An update posted to Facebook Monday indicates that he is still in critical condition.

MTL Blog has reached out to Sherbrooke Police for more information and will update this article when we receive a response.

According to its website, Walmart Canada's social distancing precautions include reduced store hours and product limits per customer.

On its Facebook page, the Sherbrooke Walmart where the incident reportedly occurred is also limiting the number of customers allowed inside the store at one time.

"We are deeply saddened by this unprovoked assault at a time of national crisis when we are all trying to enforce the urgent regulations implemented by our government," TITAN said.

Jean's colleagues have begun a crowd-sourcing initiative to raise money for his family.

As of 11:00 a.m. Monday, they have raised over $74,000.

The fundraiser page indicates that Jean is 35 years old and a father of five children.

"To show our solidarity, and because this agent could be one of us tomorrow, I am launching this sum to be given to his family," the organizer wrote in the page description.

The CBC reports that the individual who hit Jean is facing multiple charges, including armed assault.

In a public Facebook post, Jean's brother wrote that he had gone to the Walmart Saturday to pick him up, but found a crime scene instead.

"Because someone refused to accept social distancing he thought that trying to keep my brother away from his five children and his wife perhaps forever would relieve his frustration."  

"Thank you to all those who think of my brother Philippe Jean," he wrote Monday morning.

"I know that all of Quebec is very worried about him, his condition remains critical but yesterday he started breathing on his own and had a strong reaction when he heard his wife's voice which means that he could hear despite the coma."

"I am trying to keep you as informed as possible. I am proud to be a Quebecer when I see how generous our society is. Thank you very much on behalf of the entire Jean family."

This article's cover image is used for illustrative purposes only.