A 7-Eleven employee in Sanford, Florida, has been arrested after allegedly locking a customer inside the store during a dispute, according to local authorities. For context, 7-Eleven is the largest chain of convenience stores serving a variety of food items, drinks, and so on. It has over 71,000 stores in more than 17 countries.
Mike Whigham, an employee at the Florida store, was charged with one count of kidnapping by false imprisonment, court records in Seminole County show. The incident occurred two weeks ago, on September 15, at a 7-Eleven on South Orlando Drive. The whole fiasco happened after a customer asked for a Black & Mild cigar but felt ignored by Whigham, who was cleaning and allegedly didn’t assist him.
According to reports obtained by Law&Crime, the small argument turned into a huge fight, and Mike Whigham reportedly told the customer to leave or face trespassing charges and potential jail time. However, instead of allowing the customer to exit, Whigham allegedly locked the front door and physically blocked it, preventing the man from leaving while he called 911.
The customer accused the clerk of kidnapping, prompting Whigham to unlock the door finally. The CCTV footage that the cops obtained showed Whigham stepping out from behind the counter, locking the door, and then purposely holding it for 90 seconds as the man shouted from inside.
“You can’t lock me in no store, man. You’re crazy as hell,” he yelled. Surprisingly, the customer’s words exactly matched Mike Whigham’s actions. The customer has since shared the video with local news outlet WOFL and pressed charges.
These cases highlight the importance of controlling the rage that sometimes erupts from minor things. In a similar case from July 2025, a brawl broke out inside a Burger King in Miami, Florida, over the weekend after a group of content creators began filming inside the fast-food restaurant, according to video footage and eyewitness reports.
It was so bad that a viral video showcased punches and kicks in a physical fight. As the situation de-escalated, shouting continued, and one witness could be heard saying, “Oh my God.”
While it was being filmed, Burger King employees did not intervene. Even though the Miami Police Department said that no one called the cops, nor were any arrests made, the incident hit headlines, a matter of shame for the globally recognized fast-food chain. ( via The Independent).
In McDonald’s, a man named Daniel Taylor was arrested after causing a scene and grabbing an employee named Yasmine James by his collar during a dispute over plastic straws. The confrontation began after Taylor became angry that no plastic straws were available at the condiment station. When James tried to explain to Taylor that the outlet now only provides straws by request due to a new order, Taylor became violent. (via CNN).
A lady named Brenda Biandudi filmed the video and claimed he started publicly cursing James while denying his words about the new law. Therefore, such cases reveal that it’s essential to learn emotional control and not react hastily out of anger, grief, or frustration.
