It sounds like it all happened pretty fast. I imagine the cashier was still recovering from the shock of a potential armed robbery.
There were so many opportunities for him to say something. The customer kept looking at the clerk every time he said "I paid for it". All the clerk had to do was agree. There was tons of time for him to just chime in. Was he worried he would get shot for saying that the guy paid?
True. I was wondering that too. A lot of petrol station owners and cashiers are often minorities; English may not be their first language .. plus all the shock. Benefit of the doubt: maybe he was scared and grasping for his words?
No reason that cop needed to pull out a gun. In the South that's how you get shot. You pull out a badge. That's the appropriate thing to pull out.
The cashier could have just fucking spoke up at any point there. Jesus Christ.
"He paid for it"
How fucking hard would that be?