(COBB COUNTY, Ga.) — WSBT-TV spoke to a pretzel shop employee after he was seen trading blows with a customer in a viral video.

This happened at the Auntie Anne’s restaurant in Cumberland mall in Cobb County.

Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell learned this all started because the restaurant ran out of something.

It’s not what you’d expect to see in a food court at a mall in metro Atlanta.

“It was a typical day at work I had a customer come up to the counter. He asked me for a small cinnamon nugget,” said Elijah Johnson.

Johnson said at the time the restaurant did not have small nuggets to sell.

“I gave him the whole spiel, like, why we don’t have smalls. I gave him the price difference,” he said.

Johnson said things escalated when the customer threw a drink on him.

“He came around the corner he hit me on the side of my face really hard,” Johnson told WSB-TV.

Latonya Hopkins recorded the viral video. She was with her daughter when she heard the commotion.

“My heart went out to him and like I said in the moment it was just something to record you see things like this all the time,” Hopkins said.

In the video, you can see the customer pulling Johnson’s hair as Johnson hits the customer with a set of tongs.

“I snapped. I went into protective mode for myself because I know that I didn’t do anything wrong to this man,” Johnson said. “I’m looking to press charges on the mall because you guys pay for security there was no security around even afterwards.”

Johnson told WSB he’s not going back to work because he doesn’t feel safe. Michele Newell called and emailed Cumberland mall security all Monday. She also reached out to Auntie Anne’s and was told someone would get back to her.

We are still awaiting a response from both.

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