Alleged Walmart shoplifter dies after confrontation
DeKalb County police continue to investigate how a man accused of stealing from a local department store ended up dead. The incident happened early Sunday moing outside Walmart in Lithonia.
According to DeKalb County police, store employees suspected a man of stealing electronics from the Walmart on Fairington Road. Two Walmart associates and a third-party security guard allegedly pursued, and then detained the man in the store parking lot.
DeKalb County police say when they responded, officers handcuffed the man and then noticed he was unresponsive and bleeding from his nose. The alleged shoplifter later died at a local hospital.
The department store chain describes the incident as a sad situation and says it's working with DeKalb County police to determine what happened.
The Walmart employees involved in the case are identified as Phille Roberts, Michael Burton and Jaiviere Pruitt.
In a statement, company spokesperson Dianna Gee says "our associates are trained that the safety of our customers and our associates is our first priority. No amount of merchandise is worth someone's life...Associates are trained to disengage from situations that would put themselves or others at risk."
The company says the private security officer will no longer work for them and the Walmart associates allegedly involved are suspended with pay.
Officials with Walmart say they are conducting their own inteal investigation into the incident.
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