Stunning footage showed the scene filmed in 2023 at the store. The thief was clearing shelves and dumping merchandise into a trash can.  

A stunned onlooker filmed the incident and encouraged the employees to wait until the police arrived.

They confronted the suspect about why he was stealing so much, but the thief threatened to shoot them and continued to scoop armfuls of goods into the trash can.

The workers eventually had enough and came together to restrain him and hit the suspect with a large wooden stick.

The employee was seen swinging the stick behind his back to generate force and continues to hit the suspect's torso, legs and back as he shouted in pain. 

The thief screamed 'it's OK' and pleaded for mercy, but the employee continued to hit him.

'That's called whoopin' your a***,' the customer told him. 

It is not clear exactly when the incident happened, but the 7-Eleven store's lottery games on display indicates it was in California. 

Dailymail.com has reached out to 7-Eleven for comment. 

Shoplifting has reached unprecedented levels across America with brazen thieves strolling out of stores with their arms full of stolen goods.