A bizarre confrontation inside a Long Island Target turned chaotic when a man accused of trying to meet a teenage girl was confronted by a vigilante predator-hunting group — and the encounter quickly spiraled into a dramatic scene involving police.
According to the New York Post, Mark Zimmerman, 44, was confronted on March 3 inside a Target store in Copiague by members of the group New York Predator Hunters, who recorded the encounter on video.
According to the footage, Zimmerman believed he was meeting a 14-year-old girl at the store.
Instead, he was approached by members of the group, who began questioning him about messages he had allegedly sent online.
At first, Zimmerman appeared relatively calm while speaking with the group.
One member of the group questioned him about the messages he allegedly sent to the person he believed was a teenage girl.
During the exchange, Zimmerman denied wrongdoing as the conversation continued inside the store.
However, his composure soon began to unravel.
The video shows Zimmerman leaving the store briefly before returning, while a police officer followed him inside.
Once back in the store, the situation escalated quickly.
“I’m calling my mother!” Zimmerman shouted while running through the store as officers moved in to stop him, according to the video.
Police eventually caught up with him inside the store, but Zimmerman resisted as officers attempted to detain him.
“Don’t touch me! I have a heart condition!” he repeatedly yelled as police tried to restrain him.
Footage shows officers struggling to place him in handcuffs as he fought against them on the floor.
During the struggle, Zimmerman appeared to bite one of the officers involved in the arrest.
“You just bit me!” the officer said in the video.
The chaotic scene continued as Zimmerman writhed on the ground and crawled underneath a clothing rack while officers attempted to maintain control of the situation.
Members of the vigilante group who had confronted him earlier also stepped in to assist the officer during the struggle.
The group later shared screenshots of messages they claim led to the meeting at the store, saying Zimmerman had been communicating with someone he believed was a teenage girl.
According to the group, the account was actually operated by an adult member as part of their sting operation.
Police ultimately arrested Zimmerman following the confrontation.
So far, he has only been charged with obstruction.
Zimmerman is expected to return to court on March 23 for his arraignment.
