Man threatens murder over corn chips

PALM HARBOR - A 44-year-old Palm Harbor man threatened to kill a convenience store clerk over a snack Wednesday night, authorities said.

Brad E. Coppot was arrested on a felony assault charge after he pulled a 10-inch fllet knife on the employee who confronted him as he tried to steal two bags of Doritos chips, according to an arrest report from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident happened at the Curlew Food and Fuel convenience store at 2320 Curlew Road. The employee chased Coppot off the property after he was seen “crouching down behind displays and eating the chips without paying” the report said.

The clerk confronted Coppot again when he returned five minutes later, grabbed the two bags of chips and tried to leave.

Coppot threatened the employee, then fled, leaving the chips behind, the report said.

Coppot was also charged with petit theft, a misdemeanor. On Thursday afternoon, he was being held at the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $5,150 bail.

- Rita Farlow, Times staff writer

Comments

[Kim Wynne]

Some people take their snacks really seriously.

[DMS]

Too bad it wasn't Cheetos... would've made for a grea ad campaign involving Chester the Cheetah...

[M]

The new Dorito's ad (REALLY): Take snacking to a higher level. Yup, got that one right ;-)

Man, those were some pretty expensive munchies ($5,150 bail)! Wonder what the bail would be for Cheetos?

[CrowdSurf1]

Brings to meaning to "Gotta eat and run"

[lanienus]

Sure and the clerk was yelling "Not-yo chips" and sure nuff they were not his chips. So now the chips are down and
the chip bandit sits in the slammer pondering his next heist.

[Dylan]

This recession is got to be bad if people are willing to pull knives over a bag of chips. It's very sad because we are going to see alot more of this type of behavior...

[GulfSider]

There will be more behavior such as this, some people just feel entitled. You can't blame the recession for that kind of mentality.