Last Updated: June 26, 12:47 p.m.
There was question as to the aggravated assault charge should stick, due to the nature of the gun used during the incident. It was a toy gun. “There is some authority that even if it’s not a real gun, if the perception is it’s a real gun, it can be aggravated assault,” Ben Fox, the assistant state attorney, told the judge during the appearance.
Craig imposed a no-trespassing order on Munson, applying only to the 7-Eleven in Flagler Beach where the incident took place. “Good luck to you Mr. Munson,” Craig said at the end of the hearing.
June 25–Christopher Munson, a 31-year-old resident of 713 South Daytona Avenue, has a history of assault, battery and other charges in Flagler County–a felony battery charge two years ago, battery and assault charges in 2010, fleeing and eluding police and marijuana possession in 2011.
Earlier today, Munson was jailed again on the most serious charges yet–strong-arm robbery and aggravated assault. He is at the Flagler County jail on $10,000 bond.
The incident took place between 3 and 4 a.m. at the 7-Eleven store at 408 South A1A, between South 4th and 5th Streets in Flagler Beach.
Edward Vaught was on duty at the store. According to a police report, Munson had been to the store a few hours earlier, “acting suspicious.” Vaught told police that he wasn’t sure if Munson was stealing, but he never accused him of it. But words were exchanged.
Munson, according to Vaught, then “came back into the store and appeared to be upset with what took place earlier in the evening.” A verbal altercation developed between the two men near the gift card isle, and Vaught asked Munson to leave. According to the report, Vaught refused. Vaught told Munson that he’d call police if he continued to refuse.
A surveillance video, viewed by the arresting officer, captured what followed next as Vaught went behind the counter to use the phone. “The video shows Christopher violently snatching the phone, appearing to hit [Vaught] at the same time before taking the phone away.” That’s when the physical fight began.
The video shows Munson pulling a black gun from his pants and pointing it at Vaught. The object turned out to be a plastic toy gun, but Vaught did not know that at the time–and Florida law defines a weapon used in the act of a robbery as anything that conveys the purpose of a weapon, whether real or not: whether a firearm is a toy, or is not loaded, is irrelevant, once a firearm or its likeness is used in the act.
At that point, the video shows Vaught rushing Munson and tackling him to the ground outside the store to hold him down. Police arrived at that moment, as Vaught was sitting on top of Munson, holding him down. Vaught released Munson when the cop arrived. Vaught was bleeding slightly from the mouth.
Munson was placed under arrest and taken to the Flagler County jail.
markingthedays says
Way to go Eddie!!!!
fla native says
As bad as this is it could have turned out much worse. This sounds like a career criminal in the making. I hope the clerk is ok. Having said that it’s refreshing to get news out of Flagler Beach other than it’s dysfunctional politics or fire department.
Ray Thorne says
How is it refreshing to get this type of news instead of the usual politics? smh.
Geezer says
Another candidate for the Darwin Awards.
He needs a tissue – he has the Boogie Fever.
I think it’s going around…..
Steve Wood says
$10,000 dollar bond how ridiculus. This guy is a punk and needs to be behind bars for good. I hope his landlord throws his ass out so our neighborhood can be safe. Where is the 2 people per store law seems this was not followed. Evidently the scene out at the interstate does not mean much. At night there needs to be another person in the store just for security.
Pedro Bernstein says
Pulls a “plastic gun”. LMAO …What is with this place. Have all the STUPID people from all over the country decided to make this their home ? Everyday another moron and another “media event” for Flagler County !!
TRUTH OF THE MATTER says
Ok, As I said before, we are not in Kansas anymore, two violent crimes in dowtown F.B. within two weeks first a 3:00 am rape, now a 3 :00 am strong arm robbery . Question is will the city react before a murder takes place, or will they just clam up and hope everthing blows over ?
Lop Murdoch says
If you recall, there have been a couple of murders recently.
B says
The clerk is fine, wasn’t hurt at all. Unfortunately, 7-11 has suspended him pending the completion of a review.
Harley dude says
How should the city react?
KarmaIsA..... says
He definitely needs to be put away for a decent amount of time he obviously hasn’t learned his lesson from all his past crimes.I knew him and his family… just feel bad for them having to deal with this nonsense once again. Also glad no one was severely injured.
RHWeir says
Repeat offender. Lock him up and throw away the key.
Gus says
Not to mention we are the laughing stock of the country when Jay Leno mentioned the Flagler County first date incident twice on national TV two nights in a row.
Pat says
What is amazing is that the criminal gets reduced bail and walks free while the employee who was assulted ends up getting terminated by 7-11. Doesn’t seem fair. What was 7-11 thinking. They just told people come assult our employees…come rob our stores… Eddie was the victim and now he’s being punished
B says
And now the clerk has lost his job. If you would like to voice your opposition to this decision by 7-11 please contact them at 7-Eleven, Inc.
Guest Relations
P.O. Box 711
Dallas, TX 75221-0711
Phone: 1-800-255-0711
MT says
It’s surprisingly sad that Ed Vaught lost his 7-Eleven job for defending himself. What is more surprising is that 7-Eleven’s offices are located in Dallas, Texas. If this incident happened in Dallas, Chris Munson might never have left the store… if you know what I mean. ‘Nuff said!
Jstmee says
Good job Eddie,I am just happy my daughter was off that night even if she is mad she missed out on the “action” she probably would have lost her job too because she would have kicked his ass before you could have gotten to him,she is my daughter so I know that battled would have been won (she takes after her Momma)Thanks for watching out for my daughter while you worked there,you should get a plaque not get a pink slip
Margaret says
This was a tough decision that 7-Eleven, Inc. did not make lightly. We did take several days to investigate what happened and to review the in-store videotape, which the public has not seen.
We take safety and our policies very seriously. All of our security and safety programs and processes are based on decades of research. Our research includes interviews with imprisoned convenience-store criminals as well as discussions with law enforcement agencies.
Our programs are designed to deter crime and injury to our employees and customers. And they have worked.
We had a situation at the Flagler 7-Eleven store where, fortunately, our store employees were not seriously injured.
But what if that gun was real, and the suspect pulled the trigger? It could have resulted in very bad consequences for Mr. Vaught and his female co-worker.
Unfortunately there have been incidents where employees have intervened in robberies or acted confrontationally and were killed or injured as a result.
We must impress upon our employees to avoid confrontations with people who threaten them while they are on the job. Again, our top priority in these instances are to protect store personnel and our customers.
MT says
Corporate BS, PR statement!! That’s a reaction you would expect from business college grads. Anyone who points a weapon in your face is desperate. You have to assume that you are going to die. You need to do whatever is necessary to disarm the perpetrator. During those brief few seconds you don’t give a rats butt about a policy created by those who sit around meeting rooms discussing policies while sucking on a cup of Joe, and you don’t think about your co-worker or your customers. Sorry, but those are the facts. You cannot assume that you can reason with a person who is pointing a gun at your cranium. Think about it. He’s got the control. If this person is a meth head or a crack head, he will kill you and won’t even remember it the next day! If Ed Vaught worked for me, I would sympathize the position he was put in. I sure as hell would not fire him!
THE VOICE OF REASON says
What’s really frightening about this is the guy’s address, 713 S. Daytona. That’s those apartments across the street from the Senior Center and a school. So this mental defective was living across the street from two groups, Seniors and kids, that are often targets for this type of person.
Lord only knows what might have happened if this POS had become angered by someone from the school who parked in his spot.