Walmart employees charged with fatally crushing suspected shoplifter...

[aaronleland]

‘I can’t breathe!’: Walmart employees charged with fatally crushing suspected shoplifter

It was the middle of the night on Feb. 7, at a Florida Walmart Supercenter, when a man attempted to steal $380.74 worth of DVDs, police said.

Pushing a shopping cart stacked high with them, the man tried to leave the store, but when employees noticed — and then confronted him — the man ran, police said, tugging at his falling pants along the way.

At some point, the man fell, the initial police report says, and three Walmart employees detained him.

Twelve hours later, the man, identified by Lakeland police as Kenneth E. Wisham, was dead.

Reports from police at the time hinted at a medical mystery that had overtaken the 64-year-old, who stopped breathing while he was being detained. Wisham never regained consciousness, despite life-saving efforts at Walmart and the hospital, and was pronounced dead later that afternoon.

Two days later, the Polk County Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy.

The cause of death, officials determined, was mechanical asphyxia by restraint, meaning his airway was suppressed during a struggle.

Jesus Christ! These people work at Walmart. Now they could see jail time because they took their $10/hour job too seriously. I get paid more, and wouldn't step in if I saw my boss being strangled.

 

[Katzndogz]

Being a criminal carries a risk.

 

[aaronleland]

Being a criminal carries a risk.

It does. That's why these idiots are in jail.

 

[theHawk]

A criminal is dead. They should get a pay raise.

 

[aaronleland]

A criminal is dead. They should get a pay raise.

They work at Walmart. What do you think their records look like?

 

[Moonglow]

This end result is why it is against Wal-Mart policy of never confronting a shoplifter in the store by anyone except security...

 

[theHawk]

This end result is why it is against Wal-Mart policy of never confronting a shoplifter in the store by anyone except security...

Citizens are allowed to detain criminals. A store policy does not overwrite that.

 

[aaronleland]

This end result is why it is against Wal-Mart policy of never confronting a shoplifter in the store by anyone except security...

My brother worked at Walmart when he was younger and said that it was their policy not to confront a shoplifter at all if what they were taking was under $20. People would walk in, grab a case of beer, and walk out without even security confronting them.

 

[Auld Phart]

A criminal is dead. They should get a pay raise.

They work at Walmart. What do you think their records look like?

What do you believe they have records?

 

[Katzndogz]

It looks like it's the fault of the fat guy that sat on him. This will be another not guilty verdict.

 

[aaronleland]

This end result is why it is against Wal-Mart policy of never confronting a shoplifter in the store by anyone except security...

Citizens are allowed to detain criminals. A store policy does not overwrite that.

And it's always stated that excessive force should not be used. They killed a man.

 

[aaronleland]

A criminal is dead. They should get a pay raise.

They work at Walmart. What do you think their records look like?

What do you believe they have records?

They're not elderly, and they work at Walmart. Let's be real.

 

[MikeK]

This is one example of the Wanna-be-a-cop mentality. When this mentality does manage to actually become a cop all sorts of problems are readily predictable.

 

[Auld Phart]

A criminal is dead. They should get a pay raise.

They work at Walmart. What do you think their records look like?

What do you believe they have records?

They're not elderly, and they work at Walmart. Let's be real.

Let's be real.

I am, are you?

 

[aaronleland]

It looks like it's the fault of the fat guy that sat on him. This will be another not guilty verdict.

It took 7 months after the incident for arrests to be made. They had 7 months to investigate and decide whether or not it was worth prosecuting. They aren't getting off.

 

[WillowTree]

the man ran, police said, tugging at his falling pants along the way.







Uh oh! Pants on da ground! Pants on da ground.

 

[Dekster]

A shopping cart full of DVD's? They guy was looking for confrontation.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I get paid more, and wouldn't step in if I saw my boss being strangled.

That is quite telling of you, aairon... I more than likely wouldn't walk across the street to piss on you if you were burnin' up...

 

[WillowTree]

A shopping cart full of DVD's? They guy was looking for confrontation.

He was probably going to resell them like that dude in Baton Rouge.

 

[Dekster]

A shopping cart full of DVD's? They guy was looking for confrontation.

He was probably going to resell them like that dude in Baton Rouge.

Sure at flea markets and such but it isn't like one would not be noticed exiting with a shopping cart of DVD's. Our Walmart has people planted at the doors to check receipts.