Man Punched in the Face So Hard Doctors Have To Remove His Eye

A Houston man has lost an eye after being attacked during a quick trip to the grocery store.

Michael Weathersby was the victim of a brutal robbery on December 9, when he was punched with such force that doctors had to remove his right eye.

Weathersby, who is now recovering at home, was attacked in the Fiesta Grocery Store off Fondren Road at around 5 p.m.

"I was only in there for two minutes," the father of three told Fox 26. "Next thing I know it's black, and I felt things shooting out of my eye."

Weathersby told the network that he had visited a nearby bank before entering the grocery store.

He did not see the attackers coming, he added, and the two suspects got away with some of his cash.

"When I fell on the ground, I felt someone going through my pockets," Weathersby said.

He said there were several witnesses to the robbery in the late afternoon, but few came to his aid.

"I'm wondering how could this happen in a public area, in the store, and nobody do nothing?" Weathersby told Fox.

He was rushed to a local hospital, where doctors found that his eyeball had ruptured and performed emergency surgery. Weathersby added that he was in "total disbelief."

His attorney, Jeff Musslewhite, said the store could be held liable.

"It appears to be a random act of robbery. We have many questions about the lack of security at the grocery store, and, should it appear that a party is potentially liable, we will seek to recover Mr. Weathersby's significant damages. It appears the grocery store is located in an area with a high rate of violent crime. Therefore, the grocery store should have provided adequate security to prevent the attack," Musselwhite told Newsweek.

The Houston Police Department is now looking for two men seen on the store's cameras. One is described as 33 to 34 years old, 5'10" tall, 230 pounds, with a goatee, and wearing a red hoodie and blue jeans. The second suspect is described as 33 to 34 years old, 6' tall, with a low-top fade haircut, and wearing a white muscle shirt and white shorts.

Newsweek has contacted Musslewhite and the Houston Police department for further comment. The store did not comment when contacted by Fox.

Houston is one of the most dangerous cities in the United States, according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program. The local violent crime rate stood at 632 incidents per 100,000 people in 2020, above the national average.

There were 45,368 crimes reported in Houston in 2020, including 662 murders. Guns are used in many violent crimes across the city. Houston's robbery rate of 168 incidents for every 100,000 people is particularly high, placing it among the 10 metro areas with the worst record for robberies.

In August, two men in Houston violently attacked a man before robbing him. Police said the robbery happened just before noon on August 14, at apartments on Westheimer at Briargrove.

Correction 01/14/2021, 2.03 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include the date of the attack, which was confirmed by his lawyer as taking place on December 9. The article also has updated comments from Weathersby's lawyer.