Catching the WalMart Killers
Posted by WhiteCoat on November 30, 2008
What is this world coming to when people value life so little that they will trample a man to death and then kick his warm body to the side so they can get a cheap vacuum cleaner or $9 “Incredible Hulk” videos?
Some poor WalMart worker was trampled to death on “Black Friday” by 2000+ bargain hunters looking for deals in a Long Island, New York WalMart store.
In the news article, the Nassau County police hinted that they would charge people with crimes, but reportedly stated that it will be “difficult to identify the perpetrators from the store surveillance video.” Bullshit.
Hey Flatfoot. Make me an honorary deputy and give me a couple of days. I’ll find damn near every one of these perps for ya.
So in a CSI WhiteCoat fashion, here’s what to do:
- Get a subpoena for all of the credit card sales and check sales made at that Nassau County WalMart store that morning. I doubt a lot of these people were paying cash for their plasma screens.
- Gee. Names and addresses galore. They can’t deny that they were at the store because they made purchases there.
- Now subpoena the video from the parking lot cam and grab all the license plate numbers you can find. You can see the video camera pointing at the parking lot in the news video clip above. Maybe you’ll get plates, maybe you won’t.
- Cross-reference the names and addresses on the sales receipts and the license plate numbers with the NY State Driver’s License pictures. It’s not like these people hitchhiked to the store and then walked home carrying their new plasma TV sets on their backs, you know. They drove. They have cars – and most of them probably have licenses.
- Now match the pictures from the drivers licenses with the surveillance video.
Culprits identified.
Now go get them.
Better yet, publish each suspect’s name and picture on the TV and internet. Maybe they’ll see themselves on the new 50″ plasma TV sets they got by trampling someone to death.
Every one of the “people” who bowled over this poor guy and left him to die should be charged with criminally negligent homicide and thrown in prison. Make them put their plasma TV sets and brand new vacuum cleaners up as bail. I know there were some people in the crowd that didn’t see the man standing there. For those that saw him and trampled over him like some piece of rubbish, then complained that the store was closing because you waited outside like a moron for 24 hours – you all need to spend some time in the GreyBar Motel.
Maybe some decisive action by the Nassau County police will make “bargain hunters” next year act more like humans.
I know, I know. I did say “maybe,” though …
Chrysalis said
Absolutely!
mottsapplesauce said
I totally agree. What a terrible way to die….totally in vain.
Nurse K said
I’ve been at concerts where I’ve been pushed by thousands of people trying to shove their way to the front and people have fallen over while all the people behind them getting shoved forward more do their best to jump over them etc…if you stop to help, you’re right down there with them though. It’s quite frightening. Once you’re getting shoved from the back by that many people, you’re basically screwed and have to keep going, get trampled yourself, or, I guess in this case, hope you’re not in the center of the line so you can get out.
rlbates said
I certainly hope they find them. So sad.
ohn said
What a horrible way to die! I love your method of catching the lowlifes. I will be anxious to see how the authorities proceed with the investigation.
Many years ago a friend convinced me to head out at 5 am on black Friday and I saw the worst of humanity that morning. People were absolutely “mad” and “crazed” going for the 2 or 3 in stock advertised item…dozens of people fighting and pushing to get that deal. It made me sick.
John new orleans personal trainers said
Very sad for the family to die in such a senseless manner. As Walmart has some very deep pockets, I am guessing there are some lawyers out there salivating.
Frank Drackman said
Ever seen those Wal-mart “Greeters”? You gotta be 85 just to apply, I wouldn’t be surprised if Wal-Mart does this kind of thing intentionally, sort of a “Survival of the Fittest” policy. And have you ever BEEN to a Wal-mart? The only cameras are INSIDE the store, to catch shoplifters, they don’t give a flying-Flip who walks in, and why should they, as long as he’s spendin money, Osama Bin Laden himself is welcome. And those parking lot cameras? Just for show,and even the ones that are functional aren’t very helpful, since it sends images to a low quality VHS tape thats been rewound 3 million times.
Strong One said
Here here!
I second the notion.
cyberbertha said
I always spend Black Friday at home, avoiding any kind of retail environment like the plague. I knew the crowds got bad, but this is beyond ridiculous.
marcia said
I think you’d have to be able to show, from the surveillance footage, who actually stepped on the person, and also, who deliberately stepped on the person because, as Nurse K mentions above, people within the crowd get pushed forward by those behind them. If anyone is criminally prosecuted for this offense, I’ll be surprised (but happy). I agree, the people who killed this man belong behind bars.
Walmart and the police also have to bear some responsibility for what happened, though, because they didn’t provide adequate security for crowd control. When you see 2,000 people milling around a single entrance, and beating on the door to the point of breaking the glass, it’s time to call in reinforcements.
From what I’ve heard, Walmart called the police once, and the department dispatched only one cop with a bullhorn to the store. The cop was already gone by the time the store opened. There is plenty of blame to go around.
Imo, the family has grounds for suing both organizations for wrongful death, and will probably get a nice, fat settlement out of court.
trauma junkie said
I agree. They should rot in jail.
This is just awful. My deepest sympathy goes out to this worker and his family.
Marilyn said
Frank, the Walmart worker killed Friday was only 34 years old. This event is so shamefully awful. A lot of people should go to jail.
My family attended a free outdoor concert (a Christian concert no less) featuring big-name artists at which my daughters were somehow able to go watch from right up front just below the stage. Something caused the crowd to start shoving up from behind and my daughters were being crushed against the fence. An alert security person saw what was happening, grabbed the girls and pulled them over the fence. Who knows what would have happened.
We now stay out of crowds. We stay home on “Black Friday”.
min said
Retailers won’t stop this “midnight madness” as long as it appears both profitable and socially acceptable. We who roam the net should let them know that this type of bargain pandering is not acceptable.
C. said
Whitecoat, I agree with your theory, however there are several issues. The town in which this took place is not the best area. Nassau County is touted as the richest county in the country, however Valley Stream is full of gang bangers and illegal immigrants. It is unlikely those buying paid with credit cards and I would also guess that maybe only 50% have drivers licenses. License plates on cars are often stolen or expired as they dont have a valid license to register the car.
The “mall” where the store is located is notorious for shootings, robberies and other violent crimes. The store should have done more to protect their employees and shoppers as the company knows or should know the area and people they are dealing with. I live on LI and know the area of the incident well, and wouldn’t go there in daylight with a pack of police officers surrounding me. One would be better off walking through Harlem with $100 bills glued to their body.
Steve said
There was an article in our local paper that is already trying to soften the image of the “crushers”. The article is stating that ‘po people are sssooooo afraid of missing out on the ‘merican dream that they will do things like this event.
BBLLLLLAAAHHHHBLLLEECKK
Ok now that I got that liberal thing out of my throat and mouth…
It seems dat dis level or class of people are jus goan afta the ‘merican dream that days cants be bothard by civility.
Ok I’ll quit.
Steve
marcia said
Sounds racist, Steve. I saw the video clips; there were white people in that crowd, too.
Dethmama said
Amen, WhiteCoat. To others that may be putting a racial slant on this, I beg to differ… This is truly a “human issue” not a racial issue.
Robin said
The fly in the ointment here is that this happened as the store opened; I’m not sure any sales were actually made, as they closed the store after the worker was killed…..if so, no credit card info would be available. (This fact in no way detracts from your brilliance in thinking of it)
I suspect Wal-Mart will just open up the checkbook and ask the family “How Much?”
WannaBePA said
I am so disgusted by this story. I cannot imagine any thing worth the life of a fellow human being. Sick, sick, sick. But mostly, it’s really sad that someone so young lost his life so that others would be able to enjoy their $9 DVDs and discount-priced vacuum cleaners.
Several newspaper and TV news reports stated that Walmart reopened that same day. Ah, how they must have valued the life of that employee…
rn90 said
The poor SECURITY & footage is not only at Walmarts…..heck, our hospital security cameras are half dummies, one quarter broken & whats left have rewound & re-recorded so many times you couldn’t identify day or night let alone anything more specific……yeah, think about THAT next time you /loved one is laying all safe & sound in your local hospital…..
Years ago Kmart used to have Moonlight Madness also but that came to a screeching halt after a woman was “broadsided” by another shopper to get to the DEAL , causing her to fall into a metal display broke lower leg & ankle…..that was the end of that DEAL event in our area of Kmarts.
It’s not unusual for a person to sell their soul for something, why would they hesitate to take your life for a DEAL ? of course all in the Holiday spirit of giving…..
Sarah said
I can’t decide which aspect of this tragedy is worse:
A) The man being stomped to death in the first place by a stampede of animals, or
B) Reports that some shoppers were outside, after Walmart closed, complaining and yelling that Walmart needed to let them in because they’d been waiting there since the night before. A man just DIED in there, and these freaks were shrieking about not being able to go in and shop? Please tell me the media didn’t get that right. Please. But I doubt that it’s anything but what really happened.
Ugh. Just…ugh.
Will said
The problem here is that it will be incredibly difficult to assign culpability. The people at the back can’t see whats going on up front, and the people in the front are being pushed by 1000+ people behind them.
It becomes the people in the front can’t stop lest they be trampled as well, and the people pushing in the back don’t know about the guy getting trampled.
So, who do you blame?
If people engage in a “gang” mentality, then anyone involved in the gang should have some sort of culpability. The issue will come down to foreseeability. Could the actions of the people in the video foreseeably result in an injury? If so, then it becomes an issue of what charges to file against those that are able to be identified.
Determining all of that stuff is out of my league.
Nurse K said
So do you think I should be culpable at the rock concert if 10,000+ people in “general admission” at an outdoor festival are pushing forward and I’m the one to actually knock someone over who ends up dying because I’m just there to do what I’m there to do (have fun!!!) and didn’t foresee a possible trampling incident? Any time a ton of people are squeezed together, this stuff can happen. Do you want to ban any gathering of more than a few people?
I think intentionally breaking glass and just being some poor sap that knocked someone over are two different things. I think they should go after anyone who intentionally caused damage to property and who intentionally knocked someone over or otherwise assaulted them when there was a viable alternative choice not to.
PS, I bought a HDTV flat screen at Wal-Mart on black Friday and I LOVE IT.
Difference is that presumably you aren’t in the crowd making matters worse. Similar analogy to stampedes at a soccer game. People don’t have intent to do harm – they have the intent to get the hell out of the soccer stadium.
It’s all a matter of intent.
At WalMart, there were dozens of people crashing the doors down and turning the door frames into mangled messes before the store opened. What was their intent? Perhaps the people in the back thought that the doors opened and surged forward. It might be difficult to determine what was going through some peoples’ minds, but I would sure like to see the videotape of the whole incident.
I bet that there will be a lot more “intent” shown than the people on the scene let on to.
Will said
The problem isn’t one of gang mentality, rather it is simple physics. The people in the front are moved forward by the people behind them who are pushing, the people in the back don’t know that anything is wrong. Everyone loses. A single person could try and push against the flow, but then chances are they would trip and get trampled as well.
I’m sure that the video will show who is trying to avoid getting crushed and who is pounding on the doors trying to get in early.
C. said
Nurse K, it’s transferred intent. Using a person or object to cause an assault or battery, however there is no way to confirm who had the intent.
Steve said
Hey Marcia or Dethmama…who’s the racist??
I didn’t say or write anything about a particular variety of human. You are the ones that put a color to my statements. Why in fact, I may have been writing a general statement about how people from that area verbalize.
And by the way; who set you up as the arbiter of rightousness and equality?
Steve
MM said
I agree with Steve.
I stopped shopping at Wal-Mart a few years ago when the customers started to look too much like they belonged the bottom of the gene pool and I live very far from NY. It’s a Wal-Mart wide phenomenon. :-<
Seriously, this has nothing to do with race but everything with basic decency. This episode exposes the vilest side of human nature.
MM said
and what is that strange avatar that came up? I liked myself better when I used to look like a green hirsute alien
SeaSpray said
It’s disgusting and for what? Those people will have to live with the guilt of that and perhaps their sale items will haunt them.
SuperBadJack said
4 Years of Retail LP Experience here, you won’t get any plates with that camera.
You have to be actively zooming in with one of the stores PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) cameras to get a plate number.
This is such a problem the store I used to work at is installing cameras in speed bumps to get every plate number in the lot.
I’ve never seen a situation that would warrant that Speed-Bump Big Brother Cam until this one.
marcia said
Oh, bullshit, Steve. You had two sentences in your post that sounded exactly like a parody of the way some poor black people speak:
‘po people are sssooooo afraid of missing out on the ‘merican dream
dat dis level or class of people are jus goan afta the ‘merican dream
In your second post, you said:
And by the way; who set you up as the arbiter of rightousness and equality?
I have the right to express my opinion just like you. I found your post offensive and said so as politely as possible.
As long as you make blanket generalizations and stereotype people, expect someone to call you on it. Either stop the behavior, or grow thicker skin, because you can’t censor your critics.
Marie said
You *assumed* he was referring to the way ‘poor black people’ spoke.
Steve didn’t mention or infer skin color. You did that.
marcia said
Maybe Steve has trouble constructing a grammatically correct sentence, then. I think mine was a reasonable assumption based on the way he wrote the above-referenced sentences, and also based on comments others have made about the demographics of that neighborhood.
Even if he was referring to poor people in general, why the need to denigrate and stereotype an entire class of people?
I stand by my original statement. The wording still smacks of prejudice, and I find it offensive. I don’t have to justify or defend my feelings on what he wrote (even though I just did).
That’s all I have to say on the matter, because I don’t want to start a war on White Coat’s blog.
MM said
“Even if he was referring to poor people in general, why the need to denigrate and stereotype an entire class of people?”
I think he does indeed refer to an entire class of people: the selfish, crass and barbaric group that has only one goal in life: what’s in it for me?
I’ll join Steve to denigrate that class any time of the day and I’ll stop here also.
Nurse K said
I found your post offensive and said so as politely as possible.
Lol.
marcia said
ROFL. Yep, that’s me.
jehingr said
An even easier way to catch them all. Offer a 75% off Wal-Mart coupon to anyone who turns in somebody who was there when the poor worker was killed. We already know what some people will do for a Wal-Mart bargain.
“5 minute after” suits and the Wal-Mart trampling said
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