I just saw a deeply disturbing video. A 35 yr old homeless man tried to shoplift a tube of toothpaste from a CVS pharmacy in Chicago. Now, I take a hard line against most stealing. If the guy were trying to steal a cell phone or mp3 player or even some steak and lobster then all bets are off. Because those are luxuries not necessities. When it comes to stealing for profit I wouldn’t even object to corporal punishment. But this man wasn’t stealing for profit. He took some toothpaste so he could brush his teeth. If you ever see someone like that then just pay for it out of your own pocket and give it to them.
But that’s not what the manager does. He and an employee chase him out to an alley and confront him. Then the manager attacks him, throws him to the ground and straddles him. A surveillance camera in the alley records several people holding him down while the manager is on top strangling him. That’s right. He strangles him. You can see the guy’s feet and legs squirming for at least a couple of minutes. And then nothing.
I can see strangling someone in a desperate fight for your life. But not when you’re on top and other people are holding him down. There’s no attempt to save him, either. No one tries to administer CPR or anything. It doesn’t even look like they care. That ain’t right.
This happened in 2010 and there still haven’t been any charges or arrests. It’s been ruled “accidental”. The man was strangled to death by a mob. How in the hell is that accidental?
devils advocate….The manager was performing a citizens arrest. What was he supposed to do? just let the guy go when he struggled? Except for slimhoodie, who I would charge with Battery since he repeatedly struck a restrained person, who can we charge? And with what?
Hey dk. I haven’t seen you in a long time. How you doing?
The law says security can detain shoplifters and physically block them from leaving the store. They can even follow them. But they can’t attack them. The only time you can legally use force against others is to defend yourself. Insults, verbal threats, stealing, etc don’t change that.
The instant the manager attacked the shoplifter ~HE~ became the criminal. If the only way to stop the shoplifter from getting away was to attack him then, yes, the manager should have let him go. In my opinion, the manager should be charged with 2nd degree murder / manslaughter.