The two Gas Mart employees who assaulted a black woman have been terminated, one of the gas station owners said in a press conference on Tuesday, July 31, and the store, located at Goodfellow and Delmar, will be closed indefinitely.
“We are closed for the community to heal right now,” said Tafany Jabbar, operations manager for Gas Mart. “This previous week was the worst operational week in Gas Mart history. We are horrified by the actions two of our former employees, who took it upon themselves to act out through an isolated action Gas Mart does not condone.”
On Tuesday, July 24, two Gas Mart employees, later identified as Jehad Motan and Ahmed Qandeel, were seen on video kicking a black woman, Kelli Adams, who some describe as homeless, in front of the convenience store. Protests ensued shortly after the footage was posted on Facebook that same day, and protestors demanded that the police arrest the two men. More protests took place the following day after community members saw store employees attempt to reopen the store, though promises were made to keep it closed.
“Words cannot express how truly sorry we are for the action, frustration and disrespect Miss Kelly Adams has experienced,” Jabbar said. “We have begun implementing immediate steps to take corrective action to help heal the community.”
Gas Mart leaders stood with Alderman Frank Williamson (D-Ward 26) and state Rep. Karla May (D-St. Louis), along with members of the community and some protestors. They explained that they will remain closed indefinitely at that location, which is among 40 others that they own throughout the region. They also made several other commitments, which came out of meetings with elected officials and community members this past week.
“We will be supporting Miss Adams through behavioral, emotional, and physical health services,” Jabbar said.
“We will continue to invest in the community through donating to community organizations as we have for the past two decades. We will also be hiring qualified candidates within the community for different positions of employment. We will be implementing stricter security measures prohibiting any loitering on store premises. All of our employees will be put through racial equity and cultural training.”
However, some members of the protest community did not stand in unity with the group. Rev. Darryl Gray, a protest leader who participated in the meetings after the incident, said he commends the elected officials for taking the initiative to facilitate conversations with the owners.
“But there is another reality,” Gray said. “This isn’t new. This has been happening in this store and others throughout the region. The drug paraphernalia being sold. The drug activity on the lots. The disrespect.”
Gray went head to head with owner Mike Jabbar after the press conference ended. Gray asked Mike if the owners planned on removing all drug paraphernalia from all of their stores. Gray specified that the bongs, scales and drugs like Dormin (a sleeping aid that heroin addicts use to cut heroin) all had to go.
Mike said, “Yes,” and that he didn’t realize those things were being sold. He said that the managers have full authority to buy the items sold at each store.
Gray questioned the statistic that 53 percent of Gas Mart’s employees are African-American.
“In what capacity?” he asked. “We aren’t talking about people who clean your lot. What about cashiers? What about managers? What about supervisors?”
Mike couldn’t name the company that will do the racial equity training, after being asked by Gray. But Mike said that he will look to the community to help make that decision.
During the press conference, May said that the surrounding community has many programs that the owners can invest in.
“It is my hope that these owners will answer the call from the people because what happened up here was egregious and I don’t want to ever forget that,” May said.
“I’m outraged, but I know we have to continue to have a conversation in order for us to resolve whatever issues.”
See the livestream of the press conference at: https://tinyurl.com/y7h2s43m.
