Assaulted outside of Wal-Mart by "cop"

[BradB08]

Really weird day yesterday.

So, I went to Mall-Wart to buy a vacuum cleaner, since they have the biggest selection around here and I needed a new one. Fairly innocent. I go and pick out the vacuum cleaner, pay for it in one of those self-checkout lanes and I proceed to go outside.

Suddenly, I'm cornered by a guy who must have been 260-300lbs. He identifies himself as a police officer and confused, I try to get out of his way. He has no uniform and does not present a badge. He grabs me and I struggle for a minute or two. Then, an actual police officer shows up to ask what is going on.

Turns out the clerk was calling for me so she could check off my receipt (something they do for purchases over $50 or something) and I didn't hear her. I explained to the guy that grabbed me that I am Deaf and what the fuck was he trying to do? I explain it to the cop as well and they let me go.

I was very hurt, violated and I immediately went to the police station to report this incident. I told the officer there that the guy that grabbed me had no way to identify himself as a police officer. The guy at the station said that it was suspicious as he only has 4 officers on duty. Hopefully they will look into this and find out what happened.

I do not trust police officers. My mind blacked out after this because I went into shock. I don't remember where the guy or the officer went or what vehicle they got into.

I will never go to Wal-Mart ever again! It is ignorant of them to grab people. The clerk could have chased me down or the guy could have calmly explained to me that the clerk wanted to see me. Instead, he just fucking grabs me. I swear, if no one was around, I would have pummeled him back. Flight or fight mechanism there.

Just wanted to share.

 

[jillio]

Wow! Sorry to hear about that! Looks like the Wally World employees could do with a bit of diversity training, to say the least.

 

[BradB08]

I don't think it was their fault. I think the guy who grabbed me had no right to do so. I don't care if he said he was a cop. Am I expected to believe anyone who says this?

He certainly succeeded in pissing me off. I do not like being grabbed by anyone. It automatically makes me angry and I can't be held responsible for what I would do if someone grabbed me again. It is a defense mechanism.

It's just odd that I can't even remember what the guy looks like.

And he doesn't realize that by doing what he did, I could turn around and sue his ass for emotional trauma.

 

[jillio]

I don't think it was their fault. I think the guy who grabbed me had no right to do so. I don't care if he said he was a cop. Am I expected to believe anyone who says this?

He certainly succeeded in pissing me off. I do not like being grabbed by anyone. It automatically makes me angry and I can't be held responsible for what I would do if someone grabbed me again. It is a defense mechanism.

It's just odd that I can't even remember what the guy looks like.

And he doesn't realize that by doing what he did, I could turn around and sue his ass for emotional trauma.

Oh. I was assuming he was a security guard hired by Wally World. My bad.

I don't blame you. If someone had grabbed me in that way, particularly if I didn't even know they were there, I would have swung first and asked questions later!

 

[BradB08]

Yeah at least the situation was diffused but I'm curious if the police dept will get back to me on what happened.

 

[jillio]

Yeah at least the situation was diffused but I'm curious if the police dept will get back to me on what happened.

You could always follow up by checking back with them if you don't hear from them.

 

[IslandBreeze07]

This happened with my guy at Walmart one night 2 years ago. He had a few beers after work and minding his own business. He walked out with a bottle of water that he didn't pay for. Ooops. He got grabbed by one of their Loss Prevention people.

Now, my guy isn't someone that you can incite into a fight. He brushed off the guy and kept walking away. Getta outta my face! The guy did not indentify himself as Wal Mart personnel or their loss prevention personnel. The guy kept it up. So the police were called. They arrested my guy and stashed him in their car while they sorted it out with the L.P. guy. When the cops found out it was all heavy handed over a bottle of water, they decided to un-arrest my guy and give him a ride home.

I don't like their loss prevention guys but as a former security supervisor, I understand the jobs they have to do. I just don't agree with the heavy-handed way they handle things they do.

 

[VamPyroX]

That's weird.

A friend of mine (who worked at Wal-Mart) told me that if someone walks out with a bottle of soda or water and it seems that he didn't pay for it, simply make a kind gesture of calling out for that customer or tapping that customer on the shoulder. If he gets defensive, then it's pointless to fight over it because there's no need to wrestle with someone over a bottle of water/soda.

 

[Tousi]

That's weird.

A friend of mine (who worked at Wal-Mart) told me that if someone walks out with a bottle of soda or water and it seems that he didn't pay for it, simply make a kind gesture of calling out for that customer or tapping that customer on the shoulder. If he gets defensive, then it's pointless to fight over it because there's no need to wrestle with someone over a bottle of water/soda.

I have mixed feelings about that, irrespective of what happened to Brad. Where do you draw the line? Let everybody walk out with an unpaid can of soda? Isn't doing this based on the same principle of walking out with a not-paid-for pair of shoes? A tv?

 

[IslandBreeze07]

I know.... I was not there so I don't know exactly what happened there. I can understand clerks or pppl calling out. I doubt he heard them before the guy jumped him.

 

[Cheri]

I'm sorry that it happened to you, I don't think he meant to hurt you by grabbing you, maybe he was trying to get your attention.

When I brought a DVD at Wal-Mart before, while walking out the door, the door security detector went off, I didn't hear it, then a Wal-Mart employee rushed outside in the parking lot, and tabbed me on the shoulder, told me that I had to come back into the store because the alarm by the door had sounded. Of course it was an embarrassment.

 

[BradB08]

You all are missing the point. I PAID for my item and I had a receipt!

Why did they make such a big deal about checking off a fucking receipt?

 

[BradB08]

I'm sorry that it happened to you, I don't think he meant to hurt you by grabbing you, maybe he was trying to get your attention.

No, he was being an aggressive, short-dicked hillbilly with a high school education.

I can tell those types. They drive big trucks and act like macho pricks. He should have shown me a badge. Otherwise, he's just some insecure prick.

 

[Brian]

You all are missing the point. I PAID for my item and I had a receipt!

Why did they make such a big deal about checking off a fucking receipt?

Because they have been losing lots to thefts.

The local Wal-Mart SuperCenter I go to sometime does this sometime.

 

[cdmeggers]

I have never seen our local walmart check receipts for purchases over $50.. but then again I don't pay much attention. At Sams Club, they check EVERYONE that leaves with items.

 

[shel90]

That was wrong of this guy to do that. U are right..he should have identified himself first before grabbing you like that.

 

[Jiro]

eh not a big deal. The employees are not allowed to handle any security-related incidents for liability reasons. You said he identified himself as police officer and you simply walked out of his way. Obviously - that looks suspicious like you've got something to hide. It's not his fault. It's simply a misunderstanding. It's a rare incident for an officer to encounter a deaf person.

If you do not want this to happen again - then wear a sign or tshirt saying "I'm deaf."

You all are missing the point. I PAID for my item and I had a receipt!

Why did they make such a big deal about checking off a fucking receipt?

then don't shop there. the sign is out there that you're required to show the receipt so it's your responsibility as a shopper/customer to do it. if you don't like their rule, don't shop there. i hate it too and it's a fucking bullshit but wtf can i do? i need it. cheap.

No, he was being an aggressive, short-dicked hillbilly with a high school education.

I can tell those types. They drive big trucks and act like macho pricks. He should have shown me a badge. Otherwise, he's just some insecure prick.

while you viewed him as an aggressive, short-dicked hillbilly with a high school education and some insecure prick... have you considered that he may have viewed you as a punk brat hiding some stuff to steal when the clerk was calling out for you and when you were avoiding him after he identified himself as police officer? and to make it worse - you were resisting him even though you were simply defending yourself.... and this is while he didn't know you were deaf.

This reminds me.... couple years ago... late at night... I ran past the STOP sign on empty neighborhood. Actually I did stop but it wasn't a full stop so i got pulled over. The officer came to me and saw my HA. He pointed the flashlight to his lips so i can lip-read him. He said - "License and Registration please? ....... by the way my stepdaughter is deaf. you went past the stop sign blah blah blah..... so drive safely, ok? bye." I thought that was cool of his professionalism but I wish it was same for your case.

 

[Tousi]

eh not a big deal. The employees are not allowed to handle any security-related incidents for liability reasons. You said he identified himself as police officer and you simply walked out of his way. Obviously - that looks suspicious like you've got something to hide. It's not his fault. It's simply a misunderstanding. It's a rare incident for an officer to encounter a deaf person.

If you do not want this to happen again - then wear a sign or tshirt saying "I'm deaf."


then don't shop there. the sign is out there that you're required to show the receipt so it's your responsibility as a shopper/customer to do it. if you don't like their rule, don't shop there. i hate it too and it's a fucking bullshit but wtf can i do? i need it. cheap.


while you viewed him as an aggressive, short-dicked hillbilly with a high school education and some insecure prick... have you considered that he may have viewed you as a punk brat hiding some stuff to steal when the clerk was calling out for you and when you were avoiding him after he identified himself as police officer? and to make it worse - you were resisting him even though you were simply defending yourself.... and this is while he didn't know you were deaf.

This reminds me.... couple years ago... late at night... I ran past the STOP sign on empty neighborhood. Actually I did stop but it wasn't a full stop so i got pulled over. The officer came to me and saw my HA. He pointed the flashlight to his lips so i can lip-read him. He said - "License and Registration please? ....... by the way my stepdaughter is deaf. you went past the stop sign blah blah blah..... so drive safely, ok? bye." I thought that was cool of his professionalism but I wish it was same for your case.

Good thing your hearing aid is in your left ear!

 

[Cheri]

This reminds me.... couple years ago... late at night... I ran past the STOP sign on empty neighborhood. Actually I did stop but it wasn't a full stop so i got pulled over. The officer came to me and saw my HA. He pointed the flashlight to his lips so i can lip-read him. He said - "License and Registration please? ....... by the way my stepdaughter is deaf. you went past the stop sign blah blah blah..... so drive safely, ok? bye." I thought that was cool of his professionalism but I wish it was same for your case.

You know a funny story? A couple years ago, my twin sister was driving and I was in the passenger seat, she was speeding, we got pulled over by the police-- the first thing my twin sister said was "pretend we are deaf" I looked at her and say "Wtf?? We are deaf!!" then she started laughing and said "I mean don't speak". She thinks that if the police knew we were deaf, the police might won't give her a ticket, sure enough the police let her go with a warning.

 

[Jiro]

You know a funny story? A couple years ago, my twin sister was driving and I was in the passenger seat, she was speeding, and then we got pulled over by the police and the first thing my twin sister said was "pretend we are deaf" I looked at her and say "What? We are deaf!!" then she started laughing and said "I mean don't speak". She thinks that she will get away with getting a ticket, sure enough she did, the police let her go with a warning.

LOL twin sisters.... that's cool. identical?