Walmart shoplifter dies, police launch investigation
Georgia police have launched an investigation into the death of a shoplifter who was tackled by two Walmart employees after stealing from the store on Black Friday.
Two store employees who helped catch and subdue the suspect before police arrived have been placed on leave. The security officer, who police say may have placed the suspected thief in a choke hold, is no longer working for Walmart, the company said.
The cause of death had not been determined Sunday evening, and police investigators were awaiting results from the medical examiner.
“No amount of merchandise is worth someone’s life,” Walmart spokesperson Dianna Gee said Sunday in a statement that emphasized that it was early in the investigation. “Associates are trained to disengage from situations that would put themselves or others at risk.”
DeKalb police say the man, whose identity hadn’t been released, took two DVD players from the Georgia Walmart.
A preliminary investigation indicates the victim was placed in a chokehold by the security officer, reports The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
“This is truly a sad situation,” said Gee said in a statement. “We don’t know all of the facts right now. We’re in the process of working with law enforcement to determine all of the facts and cooperating and providing any information we have to assist in the investigation.”
A spokesman said no information on the victim would be released until Monday.