Fight over saying ‘thank you’ led to fatal stabbing, employee says

NEW YORK (News 12) - A New York man was stabbed to death following an argument with another man at a convenience store that escalated into a fight.

A Brooklyn convenience store employee named Alsaidi says he tried to stop the Tuesday night fight between two men, one of whom had a knife.

“I did my best to deescalate, but nothing worked,” Alsaidi said.

The fight reportedly broke out after a 37-year-old man held the door open for the suspect, who failed to say “thank you.” Surveillance video from inside the store shows the two fighting with each other and shoving each other across the floor. The suspect pulled out a knife.

“I tried to deescalate the problem by telling the guy to just put the knife away. It’s not worth it,” Alsaidi said.

But the fight escalated when the 37-year-old man started to get more aggressive. The fight then spilled onto the street.

“The guy that had the knife didn’t stop him until the victim … dragged him outside and started slapping him in his face,” Alsaidi said.

Surveillance video from outside the store shows the 37-year-old putting his hands up to fight the suspect, as he tried to get on his e-bike. He then slapped the suspect in the face.

The suspect allegedly stabbed the other man in the stomach and fled the scene. Police say when they arrived, the 37-year-old had stab wounds on his neck and abdomen.

“There was screaming: ‘He stabbed me!’ He couldn’t say nothing because blood was coming out of his throat, so he couldn’t even talk and immediately collapsed and within, say two minutes, he stopped breathing,” Alsaidi said.

The 37-year-old was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police have not yet made an arrest.