The Independent: “An Iowa man who beat and spat on a shop customer who asked him to wear his face mask properly has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. On 11 November 2020, Shane Wayne Michael was wearing his mask improperly in a Vision 4 Less eyewear shop in Des Moines, Iowa, when a fellow customer asked him to pull up his mask, the Iowa Central Dispatch reported. After customer Mark Dinning asked Michael to cover both his nose and mouth with his mask, the two began exchanging words. Both men then left the store and continued the altercation in the car park. As the fight escalated, the two men fell to the ground. Michael jabbed Mr Dinning in the eye; Mr Dinning then bit Michael in return. Michael then kneed Mr Dinning repeatedly in the groin before fully lowering his mask and spitting on Mr Dining. He then shouted: ‘If I have it, you have it,’ referring to Covid. Both men claimed that the other initiated the brawl.”

“Mr Dinning said that Michael had followed him into the car park, where he attacked him; Michael claimed that Mr Dinning had “shoulder-checked” him, and poked him in the stomach, starting the fight. Eyewitnesses sided with Mr Dinning. A fellow customer told police officers that Michael appeared to be the aggressor, confirming that Michael had followed Mr Dinning outside and attacked him. A shop employee also told the police a similar story, describing Michael as a ‘problem’. Shortly after the exchange, Michael was arrested. On 1 April, he was convicted of wilful injury causing serious injury and sentenced to 10 years in prison on 9 June.”