A man brought his dog into a Florida Aldi. He was ‘sucker punched’ into a coma

In October, Bruce Reese walked his dog on a leash to the local Aldi in Lakes Lauderdale, as he had done many times before. But this time, another man yelled at him for bringing the pet into the store and quickly punched him in the face, Broward deputies said.

Reese fainted and fell on his head, falling into a weeks-long coma and suffering a severe brain injury that robbed him of his independence, his family said.

Now Reese is suing the man accused of punching him, as well as Aldi and the security guard company the grocer hired.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Broward County Circuit Court, alleges that Aldi employees and security guards did not intervene before Reese was attacked. According to the lawsuit, 60-year-old Reese is seeking $30 million in damages.

But Reese’s attorney, Justin Shapiro, said the case is about more than money. He said his client had lost his quality of life and ability to run his towing business, and his three adult children were now his caretakers.

“He lacks the ability to live anything close to a normal, independent life. He has severe cognitive impairment. He has difficulty with everything from simple problem solving to normal activities like dressing and bathing. … He now needs his children to supervise him and help him with his most basic tasks,” Shapiro said. “This crime could have been entirely prevented if Aldi had made the most basic effort to protect its customers.”

Aldi and DF Security, the company Aldi contracts with for the store’s security guard, did not respond to emails seeking comment.

Dandrea Johnson, the woman accused of punching Reese, was arrested weeks after the incident and charged with the felony while Reese was still in a coma. The attorney representing Johnson in the criminal case declined to comment. Johnson has pleaded not guilty in this case.

The civil lawsuit details a list of alleged failures by both companies to protect their customers from dangerous individuals and crime, especially given the “high crime nature” of where the store is located.

The lawsuit alleges that Aldi employees at the store, 3301 N. State Road 7, were aware of Johnson’s “unruly, aggressive and dangerous tendencies” because of previous arguments that had occurred at the store. The lawsuit also states that police responded to more than 5,600 calls for service to the area surrounding Aldi in the past five years. During the same period, law enforcement officers were dispatched to the Aldi store 76 times in response to shootings, armed robberies, assaults, thefts and other alleged crimes.

Therefore, Shapiro argues that Aldi and DF Security were negligent in taking appropriate security measures to prevent incidents like Reese’s attack.

“We are seeking accountability on the part of Aldi, because they still have not accepted any responsibility and accountability for this,” Shapiro said. “We want to make sure this doesn’t happen again at this Aldi or any other Aldi grocery store.”

Before the attack on Oct. 11, 2025, Reese was independent, fun, friendly and full of life, said her son Brandon Reese, 36. He loved working on classic cars, riding motorcycles, and running his own towing business.

“Being the head of this family now, being there for my sisters and helping them make sense of it all,” he said. “It’s a burden and fatigue I feel every day.”

Reese took his dog, Prince, with him everywhere. Brandon said Prince would drive around with a shotgun in Reese’s truck all day. And of course, Reese took Prince along to run errands like grocery shopping. Reese and Prince, who have lived in Lauderdale Lakes for about five years, have been to the Aldi location many times without any problems, Shapiro said.

According to the lawsuit, Reese and Prince walked up to Aldi after Johnson began berating her about bringing the dog into the store. According to the lawsuit, Johnson was accused of following Reese around the store, yelling loudly and acting more aggressively.

A few minutes later, Johnson exited the store and waited at the entrance for Reese to exit, the lawsuit states. When he did this, Reese was “ambushed.”

“In full view of ALDI’s only security guard, Defendant JOHNSON sucker punched Plaintiff BRUCE REESE in the jaw with a closed fist, instantly knocking him unconscious to his feet,” the lawsuit states.

Surveillance footage from the store shows a man punching Reese as he and other customers walked out the door. Reese quickly walked back into the store and Prince walked over to stand next to her.