Man beaten in checkout line dispute (Christmas Eve at WalMart)

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | December 26, 2003 | DAVE NEWBART Staff Reporter

[Chi-townChief]

Matthew Baures loves Christmas, but he learned the hard way that there is very little holiday cheer while waiting in line at a Wal-Mart on Christmas Eve.

The 22-year-old Berwyn man was pummeled with a baseball bat and beaten by as many as four people after a dispute over a place in line at a Forest Park Wal-Mart.

"I couldn't believe someone would actually do this on Christmas Eve,'' Baures said Thursday as he nursed a bruised eye and aching tailbone and ribs.

Forest Park police were looking for two to four male suspects in the incident. There had been no arrests by Thursday afternoon, but police "have some good leads,'' Sgt. Mike Keating said.

Baures, an unemployed Web designer, was last-minute shopping with his girlfriend and another friend at the Wal-Mart at 1300 Des Plaines Ave. about 6 p.m. Wednesday. They picked up some toy race cars, Batman figures and other gifts for his girlfriend's children, along with some household goods.

The checkout lines were "the longest I've ever seen at a store,'' Baures said. His girlfriend went to the car while he waited with their friend. There were so many people it was confusing exactly where the ends of the lines were, he said.

They got into one line, and a girl began yelling at them they had cut in front of her. Baures and his friend argued with her, but let the girl go in front of them. The girl proceeded to allow what appeared to be her mother and friends to cut in front as well, but neither Baures nor his friend objected.

At one point the girl began staring at his friend "like she was going to kill her,'' Baures recalled, and they asked the girl's mother to ask the girl to stop. That led to an even bigger argument.

At that point, Baures says, he loudly proclaimed, "It's Christmas Eve. I just want to go home.''

But as Baures and his friend left the store after about a half-hour in the checkout line, they passed the group of women, who were talking on cell phones. Then he realized they were being followed, and the group now included boys and men, including one who was carrying a baseball bat.

"This young kid comes up to me with a baseball bat, saying, 'What did you say to my sister?' '' Baures recalled. "He was holding the bat like he was going to hit me, so I grabbed the bat.''

Another man then punched him in the face, and he fell down. Several men began hitting, punching and kicking him in his face, ribs and back. His friend then jumped on top of him and said, "Please stop hitting.''

Then the men pummeled her.

"All I could think as I lay there on the ground was, 'I cannot believe this is happening on Christmas Eve.' '' Baures said. "It was over nothing. They went straight to violence.''

Although a crowd formed, no one came to their aid, Baures said. But someone did provide police with the license plate number of a light-colored Cadillac in which some of the men fled. Others left in a different car.

Baures said Wal-Mart security did little to either calm the situation in the store or break up the fight in the parking lot. No one answered the store's phone on Thursday.

Forest Park police, who arrived after the fight, said they didn't know how security responded, but said tempers flared in the stress of the holiday rush.

"I'm glad I got my shopping done early,'' Keating said.

Forest Park Mayor Anthony Calderone said, "It's sad that anyone would resort to that type of conduct, especially with the holiday, but any day of the year.''

Baures was treated by Forest Park paramedics and declined to go to the hospital because he has no health insurance. But he said he was in so much pain he slept through most of Christmas Day and decided not to visit his family.

"I feel bad it happened but at least I'm not dead,'' he said. "It didn't dampen my Christmas spirit. The only thing broken on me is my heart.''

[Chi-townChief]

"I'm glad I got my shopping done early,'' Keating said.

One of the better lines of the holiday season.

[Chi-townChief]

CHICAGOLAND PING

[Dog Gone]

No one answered the store's phone on Thursday.

Duh

[Ciexyz]

So is this guy going to sue Wal-mart, like the woman who "fell" in front of a line of stampeding shoppers?

[TheRightGuy]

Walmart checkout line etiquette ... speak softly and carry a big stick?

[Siamese Princess]

So is this guy going to sue Wal-mart, like the woman who "fell" in front of a line of stampeding shoppers?

I was thinking the same thing.

[KellyAdmirer]

"I'm glad I got my shopping done early,'' Keating said.

Our public servants at work, always thinking of the taxpayer first.

[Bob]

So is this guy going to sue Wal-mart, like the woman who "fell" in front of a line of stampeding shoppers?

So, you think this guy is faking it?

[prairiebreeze]

There were so many people it was confusing exactly where the ends of the lines were, he said.

Call the personal injury lawyers, this is what the suit will be about. Never mind the assault and battery committed by the demented ones in the crowd.

Wal-Mart security did little to either calm the situation in the store or break up the fight in the parking lot.

This won't be good for the store either I would think. sheesh.

Prairie

[invoman]

["It's Christmas Eve. I just want to go home.'' ]

Note to self, always enunciate the 'm' clearly in home when making above statement.

[marty60]

Not surprising at ole Hole in the wallmart. They have 50 checkout lines, but can't hire enough Americans to check out customers. That's why I will not step a foot in the joint. If your not illegal, don't appy for a job there.

When will Americans finally start to turn their back on this Arkansas nightmare?

[Dog Gone]

ho ho ho!

[StolarStorm]

This story just reeks of the victim not telling the whole truth. Obviously is assailants were wrong to resort to violence, but the victime likely was not nearly as peaceful as he is portrayed in the article. He probably did cut in line and I'm sure use some very abusive language when called on it.

[Plumberman27]

"Walmart checkout line etiquette ... speak softly and carry a big stick?"

I would say you got it right. Ii it true that one is not allowed to carry a concealed weapon inside walmart? I guess if the guy owned and carried and couldn't carry at that store he could sue them? It would be intersting to see them revise their policy due to that one................

[Lockbar]

My only question is will Wal-Mart save a $29 DVD player for him?

[BurtS188]

My thoughts exactly. The way he tells the story, I think he's setting up the suit that will be forthcoming.

"But he said he was in so much pain he slept through most of Christmas Day and decided not to visit his family. "

But he didn't go to the hospital?? I'm not buying it.

[DoughtyOne]

The gangsta bad-arse mentality force-fed to our kids these days, leads up to these confrontations where groups swarm to inflict violence on others for almost no reason at all.

The funny thing about this, is that the very same industry insiders who promote peace above all else when it comes to world-class tyrants, find the gangsta rap folks to be the darlings of the industry. Hardly an entertainment event goes by that doesn't place these folks center stage as the cultural icon representatives of the black and hispanic sectors of our population.

For around fifteen years I've wondered why rap and the gangsta mentality was promoted by the entertainment industry, an industry that flatters itself as being the concience of the U.S. whenever our military was forced to take action.

As a whole these folks decried every bonified need for violence our military was involved in, but found the darlings of domestic violence to be simply irresistable.

Why do things like this take place? Because people of feeble mentality mimic what they witness in the entertainment industry. From Jessie Jackson and Al Shaprton to the leading icons of the entertainment industry, what positive role models are out there for blacks or hispanics?

For that matter, what positive role models are out there for any of our youth?

[pabianice]

"Welcome to WAL*BORG. Your money will be assimilated."

[BurtS188]

"For that matter, what positive role models are out there for any of our youth?"

Tupac?

[ClearCase_guy]

I thought the same thing. Much of this story really makes no sense. He paints himself as completely innocent, completely polite, even saying nothing when the woman who cut in front of him allows others to cut in front of her, and in the end, a crowd of people beat this saintly man with a baseball bat.

I'm sure it happened just that way.