In Flint, Michigan, a dispute over a face mask escalated into a fatal encounter for Calvin Munerlyn, a 43-year-old security guard. On May 1, 2020, while working at a Family Dollar store, Munerlyn became involved in a verbal altercation when he informed a customer, Sharmel Teague, that her daughter needed to wear a face mask to enter the store, in accordance with the governor's executive order at the time.
The confrontation grew heated, with Teague allegedly spitting on Munerlyn before leaving the premises.
Approximately twenty minutes later, two men, later identified as Sharmel Teague's husband, Larry Teague, and her son, Ramonyea Bishop, returned to the Family Dollar. They confronted Munerlyn, with Larry Teague reportedly yelling at him for disrespecting his wife. During the ensuing confrontation, Ramonyea Bishop fatally shot Munerlyn in the back of the head. The 43-year-old security guard was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Following the shooting, an investigation led to the identification of the three family members as the primary suspects. Sharmel Teague was taken into custody, while a search was launched for Larry Teague and Ramonyea Bishop, who were considered armed and dangerous. Their flight from justice was temporary, as authorities apprehended them about a week after the incident. Another family member, Brya Bishop, was also implicated and later charged with tampering with evidence and lying to the police.
The legal proceedings culminated in a trial where Sharmel Teague, Larry Teague, and Ramonyea Bishop were all convicted of first-degree premeditated murder and felony firearm charges. The convictions carried a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Brya Bishop, for her role in the aftermath of the crime, was sentenced to time served and probation. The tragic death of Calvin Munerlyn, a man simply doing his job, drew national attention as a stark example of the tensions surrounding public health mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic.
