Crime
Police said the sisters “annoyed and inconvenienced the shopping public with their fighting and tumultuous behavior” Sunday.
Two women are facing a slew of charges after they allegedly brawled with Market Basket employees who accused them of shoplifting from a West Bridgewater grocery store Sunday.
Police said Olivia Byrd, 37, of Quincy, and her sister Rahjane Byrd, 28, of Hyde Park, became argumentative when confronted around 5 p.m. on Oct. 26, screaming obscenities and assaulting two store employees.
The sisters are accused of trying to conceal several high-priced items, including lobster meat, prime ribeye steaks, and truffle butter. When they allegedly failed to pay for the merchandise at checkout, a Market Basket worker approached to speak with them and chaos ensued.
One Market Basket employee told police the sisters belligerently yelled racial slurs and other demeaning terms at him during the encounter, according to a West Bridgewater Police Department report. He purportedly struggled with Rahjane Byrd over the bag of big-ticket items, causing her to fall.
Police said the Market Basket worker and another employee pleaded with the sisters to leave the store, but the verbal and physical attacks continued. Olivia Byrd allegedly struck one employee with her purse and slapped him across the face, while Rahjane Byrd purportedly struck the other with the bag of purloined goods.
Bystanders filmed the incident, which was also captured on surveillance camera footage.
“Both Rahjane’s and Olivia’s actions annoyed and inconvenienced the shopping public with their fighting and tumultuous behavior,” the West Bridgewater police report states. “They screamed and directed racial and demeaning words at [a store employee]. Those words included ‘p-ssy and [the n-word]’, which were loud enough for everyone in the front of the store to hear, causing an offensive condition without a legitimate purpose.”
Stopped by police while leaving Market Basket, Olivia Byrd reportedly told an officer she and her sister are Instacart contractors and were completing an order for a customer. She alleged a store employee watched them closely as they paid for the groceries and tried to take their shopping cart when confronted.
Olivia Byrd also claimed the Market Basket employee pushed Rahjane Byrd and caused her to fall, adding that she pushed and struck the worker to defend her sister.
Rahjane Byrd told the officer an employee was the one who placed the bag of high-priced items in their cart.
“Olivia then interjected, saying the bag was hers and that the items in it were an Instacart order canceled by one of her customers,” police said. But Olivia Byrd allegedly couldn’t provide proof of the canceled order when pressed for confirmation.
Both women were arraigned Monday in Brockton District Court. Olivia Byrd pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and single counts of assault and battery, shoplifting, and disorderly conduct. Rahjane Byrd pleaded not guilty to three charges: Assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, shoplifting, and disorderly conduct.
The sisters were released on personal recognizance with orders to to stay away from the West Bridgewater Market Basket and have no contact with their alleged victims. They are due back in court Dec. 17.
Defense attorneys for Olivia and Rahjane Byrd did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday morning.
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
