Disturbing Incident at Rural King in North Carolina: Video Captures Black Man in Chokehold as White Men Prevent Him from Leaving
A deeply disturbing video circulating on social media shows white men surrounding and one of them placing a Black man, identified as Renard Kiah Legette Edwards in a chokehold while his girlfriend, Isis Bell, desperately attempts to intervene.
The video, was shared on Facebook by 19-year-old Jacob Isaiah Evans, who took Edwards “I can’t breathe” as a joke, referencing the comments George Floyd yelled out as Derek Chauvin, kneeled on his neck, killing him.
Incident Details at Rural King in North Caroline
The incident reportedly occurred at Rural King, located at 508 10th St NW K, Conover, NC on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. Employees failed to intervene as the confrontation unfolded.
In the video, Edwards is seen on the ground, his girlfriend trying to defend him from the men. A man wearing a plaid shirt and glasses grabs Edwards by the neck, moments later forcing Edwards to the floor in a chokehold.
Edwards Pleads for Help as Chaos Unfolds
While restrained, Edwards repeatedly shouts, “I can’t breathe,” as the group of men stand idly by. Isis can be heard saying she’s going to get something that we couldn’t make out, however, Edwards begs her not to leave, calling out, “Bae, don’t leave me.”
An employee at the scene can be heard telling Isis and Edwards to leave the store. However, Isis points out that the men were preventing them from doing so.
Accusations of Theft and Continued Restraint
At one point, employees claimed Edwards and Isis were stealing, which allegedly justified the men’s actions. Rather than intervening to de-escalate, the employees appeared to condone the restraint.
As the video progresses, the man in the plaid shirt grabs Edwards by the neck again, even after Edwards tries to stand. Isis tries to free her boyfriend while the group continues to surround him.
Police Arrive but Fail to Offer Assistance
When Conover Police arrived on the scene, they immediately detained Edwards without offering medical assistance. Edwards alleged that the group had tried to kill him and had stolen his phone.
The video will tell you the rest.
WATCH IT BELOW Black man choked at Rural King:
After posting the video, Evans said he was glad that the “community” was there to “stop this shit,” referring to Edwards, who was being attacked, and Isis, who was doing everything she could to free Edwards from the men.
“They could’ve just let them run out with a buggy full of Milwaukee tools like Walmart would have done, but no, we didn’t… nobody did,” Evans said.
He continued to justify the men attacking the Black couple by saying people were angry because he called them animals, pointing out Isis’s actions as if she was supposed to just sit there and let them kill her boyfriend.
“DID YOU SEE THE WOMAN IN THE VIDEO, SWINGING AND GRABBING ON EVERYBODY?” HE ASKED. “THEY WERE DETAINED AND PUT UNDER CITIZEN’S ARREST.”
Returning to George Floyd, Evans, in his ignorance, said that Floyd died from drugs and not as a result of Derek Chauvin’s actions, ignoring the fact that Chauvin was convicted of killing Floyd. We knew this incident was racially motivated when Evans said:
“But…you come to a small town and do shit like this…you’re going to f**k around and find out.”
Just check out the video below:
The North Carolina Beat has reached out to Rural King regarding their employees’ behavior, as well as the Conover Police Department.
I am not surprised nor shocked because these people are extremely enthusiastic about hurting Black people
You spelled ‘enthusiastic about stopping crime’ wrong!
This is absolutely insane!! These people are not Lawenforcement. When something happens you call the Law and let the court/judge decide who is right or wrong.Every last one of these individuals need to be behind bars. This man is innocent until proven guilty. No human being or animal deserves to be treated like this. Every last one of them acted like crimminals putting their hands on this man and choking him is a crime. People see all your faces in every country and we also see what you did. You cannot act like you are above the law when you are not an officer.
Whats even crazier is the guys who did that should of been arrested for unlawful detainment nc does not do citizens arrest
I’m glad they caught those twisted predators and I hope they get what they gave!
You are correct, they are not law enforcement, they ARE tired of idiots who feel the law doesn’t apply to them. Let us guess, if someone is stealing from your home or breaks in to your home in the middle of the night, you are going to help them load your stuff into their car?
[…] had ordered Edwards and his girlfriend to depart the shop after accusing them of stealing, per The NC Beat. Although, it appeared the shoppers took justice into their very own fingers to carry the 2 […]
This is all kinds f wrong!! What is it of these men’s business what happened? Anywhere I have worked at a store it’s been company policy to either question them and let them go and call the.po po
And that’s the problem.
Wow. Some pretty racist hateful stuff going on here. This story went viral and is being viewed nationally. I came here from another state (CO) to see what’s up and what I see is a room full of white people freaked out a black couple was shopping in their store. Did someone SEE them shoplifting? And what’s with all the talk of shooting them with HOLLOW POINTs (designed to kill as violently as possible). What’s wrong with you people?
[…] led to a violent confrontation that was captured on video, culminating in the arrest of two people, according to […]
Only in America is the criminal treated like a victim. Parents teach your children better. You shoplift you go to jail.
I still havent seen or heard anything of substance regarding the items they were shoplifting. There’s no buggy full of items that were mentioned anywhere in the video. Was it just hearsay? Someone shouts “Colored people stealing!!! and that’s all that needs to be said… It gotta be true right?? Seems to me that would’ve the first thing videoed as they were being arrested, if it was true. SMH
This is so freaking stupid! The people in the background are ignorant! This could have been handled so differently! He could have asked them to give the stuff back and leave. Then the police come and they see this man didn’t even try to get up he was not a threat. They could have treated him like an individual! Ask him what happen. The man was freaking assaulted wth! Then the scared people watching talking about I’d be careful letting him go, he might have a gun. You dumb a*s if he would have had a gun you wouldn’t have been given the opportunity to put him in a chokehold. This video disgusts me. Disgusted with Conover Police and Rural King! Didn’t nobody get no raise and they wasn’t a damn hero!
I would have started firing off rounds. Not doing this foolishness in 2025.
@Katherine Are you being serious? If you are, what kind of rounds? Caliber and type? Serious questions.
Do you got it on you when you go shopping? What make and model? Serious questions.
Preferably hollow points😘
Where’s the part of the video that shows them stealing something? I do believe it would have turned out worse if she hadn’t been there. Innocent until proven guilty.
Would you do that to a white man peckerwood . You assholes stop hating black people and save all that energy for hell. We are God’s Chosen Ones and y’all mad. It’s a different hell for you cave men. 🤬😡👹👺👿💩🖕🏾
I would have started firing SO MANY 💨💥🔫💥🔫💥🔫💥🔫 up in dat bihhh Only Jehovah God would have showed up💀🏴☠️🪦
You know you wouldn’t be the only one strapped. NC has concealed carry and open carry.
That switch would have hit all their a*s that was involved‼️
Tammy hall, what a racist thing to say. A group of men stopped a shoplifter. You think they would just let a white man walk out with a cart of power tools. That sense of entitlement is what the problem is.
Sounds like a typical peckerwood. Kill now convict later
There’s a better to contain someone. Like blocking or lock locking the doors