The man who filmed himself licking a tub of ice cream at a Walmart in Texas did pay for the exact product he unsealed. He is not expected to face charges, local police said.
A Facebook user under the name “Dapper Don” posted the video showing him licking ice cream from a Blue Bell tub at Walmart on Twin City Highway. The video is captioned “Happy national soft ice cream day lmao #viral.”
In the video recorded on Monday night, “Don” opened the Blue Bell container, licked the ice cream and put it back in the freezer.
Port Arthur Police Chief Tim Duriso said they learned about the incident after someone reached out to one of the officers, reported Port Arthur News. Several people tagged the PAPD in the ice cream licker video.
The PAPD said the young man and his parent met with the investigator at the Walmart, where they brought the receipt, which matched the time of the incident. The store’s surveillance footage also shows the man taking the ice cream and purchasing it and not leaving it in the display.
“We were able to check the surveillance footage, and it does look like the customer ended up purchasing that tub of Ice Cream,” read a statement Walmart released to KGBT.
“That being said we do take this kind of thing seriously so if anyone does tamper with product in our store and they do leave it on the shelf, then we will work with Law Enforcement to identify who that is, and go from there.”
I. just. can’t. ????♀️ #StoptouchingmyBlueBell
Take a lick, I mean, look at our @abc13houston story ????https://t.co/xDyTnc5oFQ— Elissa Rivas (@ElissaRivas13) August 21, 2019
Although no charges were filed Duriso told Port Arthur News that the gathered information was given to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office. They are waiting to see if charges will be laid.
If the District Attorney decided to pursue the case, a potential charge could be tampering with a consumer product. It’s a 2nd-degree felony, punishable under Texas state law by a fine up to $10,000 and prison time from 2 to 20 years.
Duriso said he’s not exactly sure why the man did this but suspects he was “trying to get likes on Facebook,” the local news reported.
Earlier this summer, a young woman from Lufkin, Texas went viral after she posted video showing her licking Blue Bell ice cream, and putting the tub back in the freezer at a Walmart location. That case was turned over to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.
I love ice cream pic.twitter.com/CWA1aNBmJU
— LARZ (@GAYSHAWNMENDES) July 3, 2019
The incident somehow spurred a new social media “challenge” that encourages people to violate the frozen dessert in various ways. Not long after, a Louisiana copycat posted a video of himself licking ice cream out of a container at a local grocery store before putting it back on the shelf. He was arrested, despite it was later proven that he had purchased the ice cream carton he messed with.
I can’t believe I live in a world where my ice cream is locked up?? pic.twitter.com/TfTusAxKBF
— s (@s0ntra) July 9, 2019
In response, some stores seem to be taking measures to keep people from accessing the ice cream without supervision. A photo circulating on Twitter shows an added button to call an employee to the freezer section.
