Witnesses say an armed security guard at Whole Foods violently assaulted a black customer

Whole Foods replaced the security firm at its Oakland, California, store on Saturday. On Thursday, witnesses reported seeing an armed security guard assault a black customer who they say had not posed a safety threat, SF Weekly reports.

One witness wrote on Facebook that she saw the man, who had been trying to pay with EBT, an electronic food stamp system (an accepted form of payment at the chain), slammed against concrete pillars, put in a chokehold, restrained, suffocated, and thrown on the pavement. The victim is reportedly in stable condition at the hospital.

"The guard locked him out of the store despite the fact he was immobile," witness Zoe Marks wrote in a post containing graphic photos of the victim on the ground. "Not a single employee called the paramedics."

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Whole Foods hired another security firm after the incident, but it's unclear if the change applies to all stores or just the one Oakland location, SF Weekly reports.

"There are no cases — ever — in which our protocol calls for violence. The actions of the security guard were completely contrary to our policies and values, which is why the firm is being replaced," the company wrote Saturday on Facebook.

Many people advocating for a boycott of the chain on Twitter do not believe grocery stores should employ armed guards at all, regardless of the firm used.