So, a suspected shoplifter is dead…
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/crime-law/alleged-shoplifter-dies-after-being-subdued-by-wal/nTFPx/
Honestly, how many store security folks have you seen that have exhibited the ability to make really good decisions? I mean, to really OBSERVE what is truly happening, and to be able to REPORT it and act accordingly?
Keep in mind that most places don’t pay anything reasonable for security. They aren’t looking for the sharpest knife in the drawer. They are really just looking for a body to occupy a space, and hoping that the presense of that body is enough to keep most people from stealing anything worth any real value. However, the folks that often get into this line of work are also the ones that want to be police but have failed some element of the hiring process – often the psychological screenings. They may just be looking for an opportunity to “prove themselves”. I’ve see than first hand.
Of course, knowing that if you ever really DO anything you are likely to be let go, who else are they going to hire?
We all know that if it were up to lawyers, the world would be in a state of paralysis. However, knowing who they are hiring from – that’s why so many retail establishments have their operational rules for security. The ones that actually permit the “guard” to apprehend someone usually require that they can articulate exactly what item was taken – not just a CD for example, but a Garth Brooks CD – and exactly where on the person it is hidden. If they can’t do that, they can’t apprehend. It makes it MUCH harder, but it prevents a number of legal problems on the back end. The cost of the item is much less than the legal issues.
Look at it this way. With the observational skills and decision-making processes that their average employee has, would you trust a Wal-Mart security person with the ability to grab a hold of your wife or son or daughter and handle the situation appropriately based on what they think they might have seen?
This person may just have been shoplifiting. They might have resisted the attempt to stop them. Is using a sleeper hold appropriate for a store security guard? Did they push the issue to becoming a need to defend themselves? Was it prudent to actively confront the individual, or would it have been better for them to have followed the person, got vehicle information, and reported that to LE?
Here in Utah we have the “citizens arrest”. However, if YOU do not PERSONALLY have an absolute knoweldge of the situation, you are best leaving that to LE. Discretion is indeed often the better part of valor.
Or you can get involved, and take an active part. What’s the worst that can happen? I’d ask George Zimmerman. Or this Wal-Mart guard.