Large brawl at car dealership involved the employees vs. customers, NC police say
A used car dealership descended into chaos when the employees began brawling with customers on the lot, according to investigators in eastern North Carolina.
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It happened Tuesday, Sept. 8, at CarWise Auto Sales on Carolina Beach Road in Wilmington, and video of the fight has gone viral, officials said.
The dealership’s owners are among the suspects, the Wilmington Police Department said in a Sept. 16 news release.
“Officers responded to Carwise Auto Sales … in reference to a physical disturbance. During the encounter, customers of the business attempted to retrieve their property from a vehicle; the customers were told by dealership employees to leave the property,” police said.
“An argument ensued and turned physical before officers arrived. The Wilmington Police Department is aware of a video circulating on-line allegedly depicting the argument and alleged assault.”
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Arrest warrants have been served for three people associated with the dealership, and a fourth person is being sought, police said. All are charged with simple assault. The suspects range in age from 36 to 53, police said.
CarWise Auto Sales posted a statement acknowledging the altercation, and said the clips that went viral “do not show the incident in its entirety or provide the full context of what occurred.” The dealership remains open, the owners said.
“Working in the buy-here-pay-here industry sometimes requires us to handle difficult and emotionally charged situations. We understand that customers may experience financial hardship, and we make every reasonable effort to work with them. However, we must also enforce legally binding contracts,” the dealership wrote on Facebook.
“We will allow the evidence and the proper legal process to establish the facts rather than litigating this matter through social media. What we will not accept are threats of violence against our employees, our family, or our property. We respectfully ask the public not to draw conclusions from incomplete footage or one-sided accounts while this matter is pending.”
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Wilmington is about a 120-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh.
