Walmart Security Guard Fired, And You Won’t Believe Why
A Walmart security guard in Fort Myers, Florida, lost his job on Friday. Daniel Bresson took down a shoplifter in a way that countered company policy.
In most retail jobs, they usually tell you that if you see someone committing a crime, such as robbery, you should simply give in to their demands. It keeps the company image friendly and if you can get a good description of the offender, you could be instrumental in earning them their legal dues. Attempting to thwart the offending party makes you a vigilante and potentially escalates the situation to the point of lives lost instead of just money and merchandise.
No lives were lost in the Six Mile Cypress parking lot, but the shoplifter lost some of her dignity.
Daniel Bresson, a Walmart security guard, had been watching Tamara James and another woman attempt to shoplift merchandise. When the two left the store, he took the opportunity to run out and tackle Tamara. The thwarted attempt netted nearly $200 in stolen goods, according to investigators, but it also cost Bresson his job.
Walmart has claimed that the way the loss prevention officer handled the situation was very poor and violated company policy.
When Bresson tackled Tamara James, her aunt claims she fell and hit her head on the curb, much like what happened when Cleveland police attempted to deal with an unarmed woman last week. Similarly, Tamara’s dress had flown up and left her exposed while the Walmart security guard had her held down.
Walmart security guard tackles and holds down shoplifter #Walmart #Samsclub #walmartchallenge http://t.co/08JliSsWI1
— JVM Performance (@JVMPerformanceD) November 18, 2014
Tamara’s aunt, Karen Jackson, told the press about what she saw in the captured cell phone footage.
“I was devastated when I saw the video. He was a man and the way he pushed her down on the curb… Her head hit the curb. The way he just exposed her.”
The man who recorded the incident, Carlos Galarza, told Fox 4 News about what he saw.
“It’s not right. I don’t care what situation it is, whether you’re a police officer or a husband, no one should do something like that to a woman.”
“She was saying let me go, let me go. She said sexual assault because her pants were up, her dress was up.”
According to Walmart policy, the loss prevention personnel is only supposed to hold the suspect until authorities arrive, not engage them forcefully.
Tamara James was caught and detained in Lee County Jail for her attempt at shoplifting. The question remains whether the Walmart security guard’s actions were really necessary to see her face justice or if he was simply risking his job.
[Image via Common Key]
