Maryland Woman Arrested After Viral Grocery Store Attack On Gay Man
A Maryland woman has been arrested after a Christmas Day incident inside a Giant grocery store in Alexandria, Virginia, that was filmed and later spread widely online. Alexandria Police say the victim, a man who did not know the woman, was assaulted while shopping at the store.
Homophobic woman in a viral video harassing a gay man at a grocery store on Christmas Day for looking hotter than her has been arrested and charged with felony in Maryland.
— Red Media (@RedMedia_us) January 14, 2026
Alexandria Police confirmed that 34-year-old Shibritney Colbert was taken into custody on January 8 under… pic.twitter.com/ARmA4mNMAx
Police identified the suspect as Shibritney Colbert, 34, of Landover, Maryland. In a news release, the Alexandria Police Department (APD) said investigators believe the man, only known by his X account handle @deonteiy, was targeted because of his sexual orientation, based on the victim’s statement, the comments made before the assault, and the wider circumstances.
What the video shows…
The footage posted online shows a heated exchange that turns physical. Police say Colbert pushed the man, rammed him with a shopping trolley, and threw groceries while using slurs. In one clip, she can be heard yelling, “Boy, get out of here with your gay ass!”
The man who recorded the video later described the incident as “traumatic.” He said he filmed because he feared the situation could be “misrepresented” and flipped into a story where he looked like the aggressor.
“I needed evidence to protect myself,” he wrote.
How the arrest happened.
APD says a 9-1-1 call reported a fight in the store. When officers tried to detain Colbert in the car park, police say she fled in her vehicle.
Because Colbert lives outside Virginia, APD says it worked with Prince George’s County Police, the Virginia Fusion Center, and the U.S. Marshals Service to locate her. Police say she was taken into custody on Thursday, 8 January 2026, and was held at the Prince George’s County Jail while awaiting extradition to Alexandria.
just got hate crimed in the grocery store for being gay, merry christmas. pic.twitter.com/E8BJuDjf9a
— D. (@deonteiy) December 25, 2025
What charges she faces.
APD says Colbert is charged with felony eluding, assault and battery, destruction of property, and driving an unregistered vehicle.
Police also say the case is being reviewed with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for “bias-based penalty enhancements” under Virginia law.
What does that mean in plain terms? It means prosecutors may argue for tougher penalties if they can show the crime was motivated by bias tied to a protected characteristic, including sexual orientation.
Shortly after the arrest, APD announced a new hate crime and bias-incident policy. Police say the policy had been in development for more than a year, and that the work began before the Giant store incident drew public attention.
APD says the policy sets clearer standards for how potential hate crimes are identified, documented, supervised, and followed up, with a stronger focus on victim support.
Community leaders were also involved in the process. In APD’s release, Darrilyn Franklin, president of the NAACP Alexandria Branch (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), said the goal was to create “a transparent framework that builds community trust and ensures every incident is addressed with the seriousness it deserves.”
Police Chief Tarrick McGuire has also been blunt about consequences. In a statement reported by People, he said: “If you engage in this type of behavior, if you have hate and bias in your heart, we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
