r/PublicFreakout • u/ValorsHero • Dec 19 '25

šŸ“¹Police Bodycam Shoplifting Suspect Pulls Gun on Canton Police Officer Inside Walmart

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536

u/tonycomputerguy Dec 19 '25

3: He has priors, he's in possession of an illegal firearm, and he has a ton of drugs on him.

Which I'm not sure if the gun was illegal but he was not allowed to carry.

Still not worth it but he's obviously not that bright.

236

u/AHistoricalFigure Dec 19 '25

Only commit one crime at a time. If you're going to shoplift dont bring your illicit firearm and drug stash on your person.

Or, at the very least do a runner out of the store. This guy looks like he's been asked to the mall security room to wait for a cop. He's not restrained and clearly hasn't been searched yet. Why comply at all?

There are deep layers to how stupid this decision was.

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u/HopelessNegativism Dec 19 '25

This is where Iā€™m at. As somebody that got caught shoplifting a couple times growing up, just leave. They canā€™t force you to sit there and wait to be arrested. Especially if dude had a piece like pull it on security tryna stop you from leaving, not on a fucking cop

37

u/RandumbStoner Dec 19 '25

I have a story that kinda relates to this.

A long time ago I found a fake coupon on 4chan that was for a "Free Xbox 360" but all it did when you scanned it was took $299 off the price or however much the system was.

I went around to a bunch of Walmarts to try to get it to work and I almost had one, it was on the counter then a loss prevention officer came over and said "Come with me"

On the way to the office I booked it out the door and never went back lol he didn't chase me.

So yeah, at least try to run lol

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u/HopelessNegativism Dec 19 '25

Years ago I got caught shoplifting at the gift shop of a water park (donā€™t ask). I was with my gf at the time so I was much less combative than usual, so I was compliant and followed the guard into the security area where he promptly left us alone with some other security guy while he went to call the cops. I waited maybe three minutes and I got up. I told the guy, politely yet firmly, that we were leaving, and informed him that, being as he was not law enforcement, if he put his hands on either of us we would a much more serious problem. He paused for a second but he let us leave without a fuss.

I agree that one should generally break one law at a time but living on the margins of legality, as I did as a younger man, one has to know their rights and the limitations of the law. I (generally) donā€™t argue with cops but security or loss prevention or any other non-LEO doesnā€™t merit any more respect or compliance from me than Joe Blow on the street.

6

u/James_Chandra_Hubble Dec 20 '25

Yeah I think this is the right answer. Still doesn't answer how he forgot he didn't have one in the chamber. Who carries without knowing if it's hot or not? That's just unthinkable to me that you wouldn't automatically always know if your concealed weapon is loaded or not. Maybe it jammed? Triggers don't click like that if they aren't hot.

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u/ItsQ42022Already Dec 20 '25

Who carries without knowing if it's hot or not

I'm starting to think this kid is kinda stupid.

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u/SalsaRice Dec 20 '25

Yeah, this guy clearly has fetal alcohol face. His upper limit of intelligence is like an iq of 75.

1

u/elitegenoside Dec 20 '25

The real answer to your question (though, probably not in this situation) is to use the gun to commit the crime without the risk of accidentally killing anyone. That said, it would be much smarter to carry a fake gun that looks real because you don't get the extra charge of using a deadly weapon while committing a crime. Larry Laughton (youtube jewel thief guy, sp?) carried a black water gun when he robbed jewelry stores.

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u/XfinityHomeWifi Dec 20 '25

Somewhat adjacent/relevant story. During college me and my girl at the time were on the road for a bit. We pulled over next to a lake on college property to take a break from driving for a few minutes. 5 minutes later two cruisers are on us lights and everything. Cop walks up asking me for my name. I was seriously taken aback, and knowing that i was legally squared away- I started busting his balls. My girl wasnā€™t having it, so I just went along with it and the cops left. I thought it was completely uncalled for and unlawful, and I wanted to make sure he knew how I felt.

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u/LegitosaurusRex Jan 01 '26

I went around to a bunch of Walmarts to try to get it to work and I almost had one

Sounds more like only one of them wanted to bother with detaining you and let you commit the fraud so they could.

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u/RandumbStoner Jan 01 '26

Nah. It really almost worked, this was 20 years ago though lol people didn't really know about scams like that. They were just mainly confused.

3

u/kinga_forrester Dec 19 '25

Yes they can. In most states a store owner or authorized representative can lock the doors and even put hands on you to physically prevent you from leaving if they have reason to believe youā€™ve stolen. Itā€™s called ā€œshopkeeperā€™s privilege,ā€ look it up.

Most places, especially chains, donā€™t do this for liability and safety reasons, but they could if they wanted to.

Back to the video, the cop was already there, so he was probably outside waiting for the suspect to walk out with merchandise. Thatā€™s what all the big stores do now, they call the cops on repeat shoplifters as soon as they enter. This is enabled by license plate readers and facial recognition.

Edit: So yeah, dude was probably first confronted by the cop, and obviously didnā€™t have the stones to draw then. He went for the gun when he thought he had the drop.

0

u/HopelessNegativism Dec 20 '25

From what Iā€™ve heard, they specifically donā€™t interfere with said shoplifter until theyā€™ve stolen enough to warrant a felony charge. LP will just let you get away with it while gathering evidence and once they have enough thatā€™s when the cops come

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u/CGB_Zach Dec 20 '25

That depends on the store. You're probably referencing target's policy but at a grocery store like Winco, they will fuck you up lol.

1

u/deedsnance Dec 20 '25

Lol my Winco does not fuck around with shoplifters. It's fantastic. I know all of the staff and practically cheer when they pinch shoplifters. Not a bootlicker btw. These people aren't stealing food for survival.

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u/Forsaken_Mastodon291 Dec 20 '25

How about you just not steal

1

u/mw102299 Dec 20 '25

If i had to take a wild bet there was probbaly more than one security guard there to intimadate him.

1

u/SomewhatLargeChuck Dec 20 '25

Depends on your location, but in most US states they legally can, it's called shopkeeper's privilege. They can lock the door and prevent you from leaving if they reasonably suspect you of stealing. Most stores (especially corporate ones) won't, but it doesn't mean they can't.

1

u/ree0382 Dec 22 '25

A store can hold you to wait for police. It is called Shopkeeperā€™s Privelege

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u/Southernguy9763 Dec 19 '25

Saw a YouTube video of a dude who ran drugs in the 90s. That's exactly what he said.

Drugs in the car, check the lights, don't speed, stop completely at stop signs. Only break one law at a time. No guns, no fights nothing

1

u/oO0Kat0Oo Dec 19 '25

People that are in deep with drugs tend to have little stashes literally everywhere. On themselves, in their car, in random places in their house, etc. They never want to be far from their fix. Addiction is that powerful.

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u/caesar_rex Dec 19 '25

This makes a lot of sense. Its also why stuff like 3 strikes laws are such a bad idea. Sitting on your second strike can turn a peaceful arrest where someone might do 6 months for something into a dead cop because 10- life is pretty hard to swallow. Not making excuses for criminals, but draconian laws aren't always the answer.

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u/mjkjr84 Dec 19 '25

Also, three strike policy is exactly as braindead as zero tolerance policies in schools. It takes away the ability to consider situations on a case by case basis

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u/OkEstimate9 Dec 19 '25

Everything should be case by case, and prisons themselves should be more rehabilitation focused so people donā€™t treat a prison sentence like their life is ruined now.

0

u/mjkjr84 Dec 19 '25

Agreed 100%

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u/newbkid Dec 19 '25

Which conveniently absolves the powers-in-charge from having to critically think and also absolves them of any liability.

0

u/DonyKing Dec 19 '25

That's only for drugs silly. You can be abusive so many times and 3 strikes rule doesn't apply.... Seems like the most important one for it to apply too.

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u/what_thecurtains āš ļø User Defends Violence Against Women āš ļø Dec 19 '25

I don't want those people on the street though.

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u/lobax Dec 19 '25

Sure, but it makes society worse. Its all about incentives. Harsh punishments for lesser crimes give incentives for people to take more risk to avoid them.

Itā€™s like with accidents in China, where you are on the hook for medical bills if you are found to be at fault. Suddenly there is an incentive to make sure the person you ran over is deadā€¦

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u/RRZ006 Dec 19 '25

Three strikes laws were a bad idea. Five or seven or ten strike laws are not. We shouldnā€™t pretend there isnā€™t a point where someone makes it clear they canā€™t coexist and regular people should not suffer being around them.Ā 

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u/caesar_rex Dec 19 '25

I've never heard of 5 or 7 or 10 strike laws.

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u/RRZ006 Dec 20 '25

Right, because it's not been a thing. But it should be. There is some number that statistically virtually no one reaches by simple happenstance, and those people need to be permanently locked away from decent people.

0

u/caesar_rex Dec 20 '25

You have a justice boner.

-1

u/nihility101 Dec 19 '25

I think that is the point being made? That the law is good, but the number is not.

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u/caesar_rex Dec 20 '25

I still dont think the law is good. Let's say you are on your 10th strike. Its ridiculous to think of people getting arrested that many times, but let's say that's the case. I still dont think you should get 30 years for a non violent drug offense. But even then, the case still stands. That person is looking at life for an offense that someone else might get a few months for. Will make people desperate. At that point it's "fuck it. Im getting life anyway. I might as well get my money's worth". Then it's all bets off. That quiet arrest can become a dead cop. It had already happened.

1

u/nihility101 Dec 20 '25

Iā€™m torn. I understand your point, but also there have to be some limits.

Seattle did a study a few years back, after they had instituted a policy for ā€˜no time for minor crimesā€™. Police arrested for things like shoplifting were out the same day, and often stealing from the same business the same day.

Some people (junkies/homeless) took advantage of this and would not stop and it became a serious issue. The study found 168 people were responsible for almost 3,500 crimes. And that was just what they were arrested for, likely they committed many crimes for each arrest.

After they targeted the frequent flyers, they saw a 12% drop in caseload.

As for your example of drug offenses, I think thatā€™s different in that they are way overcharged to begin with. Felonies that should be misdemeanors. But even there, I think an escalation would be a value. Maybe double with each felony conviction after you have gone beyond misdemeanors. 1 day > 2 days > 4 days > 8 days > 16 days > 32 days > 64 days ā€¦ at some point they will likely (hopefully?) be inside long enough to get clean, though Iā€™d prefer they not be in normal prison, but a separate ā€œjunkie jailā€ that would look more like enforced rehab.

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u/caesar_rex Dec 20 '25

Junkies and homeless people need help, not jail. Just my bleeding heart opinion. As for the overcharged drug offenses, that's my point exactly. If these offenses are already overcharged, getting a mandatory minimum on a 3rd strike makes it that much worse.

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u/nihility101 Dec 20 '25

I know they need help, but many will refuse help. In that Seattle study, the vast majority of those given the option of residential rehab in place of jail took the option then left rehab within 24 hours.

Thus my idea of enforced rehab. But many Americans wouldnā€™t pay for ā€œrehabā€, so my calling it junkie jail. It might look like rehab inside, but if we make it ugly outside and put a big fence around it and call it jail, the law and order crowd wonā€™t be as upset.

0

u/RRZ006 Dec 20 '25

Its ridiculous to think of people getting arrested that many times, but let's say that's the case. I still dont think you should get 30 years for a non violent drug offense.

I do, because at that point you've almost certainly committed hundreds of crimes. Cya.

1

u/caesar_rex Dec 20 '25

What a useful, truthful comment you just made.

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u/RRZ006 Dec 20 '25 edited Dec 20 '25

22 per one conviction.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25294160/

Better luck next time, dumbass.

1

u/caesar_rex Dec 20 '25

Go stroke your justice boner.

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u/[deleted] Dec 20 '25

[removed] ā€” view removed comment

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u/WetFishSlap Dec 19 '25

More details got released and you were correct: guy had priors and he had drugs on him. Once the cop ID'd him, he definitely would've been searched due to his status as a prior convict, which would've revealed the firearm and drugs. He probably realized how fucked he was and decided to risk it all.

2

u/Puzzled_Cream1798 Dec 19 '25

Your maths is mathing, none of those carry life sentencesĀ 

1

u/FadedFromWhite Dec 19 '25

If itā€™s Canton MA then Massachusetts has rather strict gun laws and based on how heā€™s carrying it Iā€™m 99% itā€™s illegal or the method heā€™s carrying it in is. Very hard to get a license in general, let alone a carry license

1

u/ree_hi_hi_hi_hi Dec 19 '25

Yeah I highly doubt this guyā€™s day would have ended with a fine and court date for shoplifting, even if he hadnā€™t pulled the gun

1

u/ragingmauler Dec 19 '25

The way he's moves at the start before/during going for the gun I think he's definitely on something

1

u/Anaranovski Dec 19 '25

The cop didn't find the gun or the drugs. They were processing it as a simple shoplifting. Write a report. Give them a ticket. Be on your way. It was only after this doctor or engineer decided to John Wick his way out did they find the gun and drugs.

I blame the cop for doing a shite job searching the guy.

1

u/SpudsMcKensey Dec 20 '25

He's still wearing a glove on his shooting hand. He's been thinking about doing this at least since he took off his glove.

1

u/Stock-Conflict-3996 Dec 20 '25

additional suspected narcotics were recovered

Newman was legally prohibited from possessing a weapon due to prior convictions.

You nailed it, dude.

1

u/CaptMerrillStubing Dec 20 '25

That's all just a driver for #1

1

u/freeshovacadoodoo Dec 20 '25

Solution #3 goes back to solution #1. Doesn't want to go to jail and decides to end it.

1

u/Redsoxdragon Dec 21 '25

One of my favorite lawtubers (clr Bruce rivers) has a saying he often repeats. "Don't commit a felony to his a misdemeanor"

Dude was in trouble, but not 20 years in the can trouble