85-year-old man dies after altercation in a grocery store line: the suspect is still wanted

Belgian police are attempting to track down an unidentified suspect after an altercation in a Lidl grocery store left an 85-year-old man dead.

“Assault and battery”

In a wanted notice published on the law-enforcement authority’s website, Belgium’s Police Fédérale have shared still surveillance images of the alleged assailant, accompanied by the following physical description:

“The individual is between 25 and 30 years old. He is of slim build, has a beard, and wears glasses. At the time of the incident, he was wearing light-colored tracksuit bottoms, black sneakers, and a beige patterned cap.”

He is wanted for “intentional assault and battery”, the notice said.

What exactly happened?

The Police Fédérale said the incident took place on March 8 at a Lidl store in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, a town located just outside the Belgian capital, Brussels.

The suspect is believed to have argued with the elderly individual, who “fell to the ground and was seriously injured” in the confrontation, police said. He later died of his injuries in hospital.

According to the Belgian media outlet Sudinfo (via Le Parisien), the argument took place after the victim momentarily left the checkout line to find an item he had forgotten to pick up. On his return to the checkout, he found that his place in the line had been taken.

Per the Belgian outlet 7Sur7, witnesses say the suspect pushed the elderly man over, causing him to hit his head on the floor. The alleged perpetrator is then said to have fled the scene when the victim failed to get up.

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