QuickTake:

A clerk named as a defendant in the lawsuit also faces criminal charges in connection with the incident which happened last November in Eugene.

A 7-Eleven customer who alleges a clerk pointed a shotgun at him after mistakenly thinking he had stolen items from the Eugene store has filed a lawsuit seeking up to $5 million in damages.

Benjamin Daniel Smith filed the lawsuit Thursday, Oct. 15, in Lane County Circuit Court.

The corporate entity 7-Eleven Inc., based in Texas, is among the named defendants in the lawsuit. Also named are the owner of the 7-Eleven store at 13th Avenue and High Street, as well as the clerk Smith says pointed a gun at him. 

The lawsuit also alleges negligence and assault, though there is no reference to any injuries sustained by Smith.

Court records show criminal charges filed against the clerk, identified in jail and court records as Akashdeep XX, with a failure-to-appear warrant issued for his arrest Sept. 16. Akashdeep faces a felony charge of unlawful use of a weapon and a misdemeanor charge of menacing after an encounter with Smith, court records show.

The civil lawsuit alleges that Smith purchased an item at about 1 a.m. Nov. 22, 2025, then went to a store refrigerator to select a drink but decided against making another purchase.

As Smith attempted to leave the store, Askashdeep blocked the exit, the lawsuit claims.

Smith lifted his sweatshirt and emptied his pockets to show he had not taken anything, according to the lawsuit, and he then walked around the clerk to his car.

Smith then “heard the racking of a shotgun, turned, and saw defendant Akashdeep XX pointing a shotgun at him,” the lawsuit said. “Defendant Akashdeep XX threatened to shoot plaintiff and told plaintiff that he could not leave. The conduct continued for some time.”

Another person, identified in the lawsuit as John Doe 2, allegedly ordered Akashdeep to stop Smith pending a review of surveillance video, the lawsuit states.

This unnamed person eventually realized Smith did not steal any items and Akashdeep handed the shotgun to another person identified as John Doe 1, according to the lawsuit. Smith was then allowed to leave the store, the lawsuit states.

In addition to Akashdeep, the lawsuit names the store owner, Upinderjit Dhanji, as a defendant. Dhanji is identified in the lawsuit as president of the store’s corporate owner, United Unlimited Dreams Inc., with the entity also listed as a co-defendant along with the 7-Eleven corporate entity and John Does 1 and 2.