Man dies in scuffle with security guards

The Cleveland Advocate ^ | 08/10/2005 | Jamie Nash

[JamesP81]

A Cleveland man died last Sunday after a scuffle with security guards at the Walmart Super Center located at 6626 FM1960 in Atascocita.

According to witnesses, Stacy Driver ran out of the store and was pursued by Walmart loss prevention employees. A short time later, Driver was dead, and the Walmart employees were trying to explain the last moments of his life to police.

Charles Portz said he was getting out of his car when he saw a heavy blonde haired man being chased by five people who appeared to be security or store employees. He said he saw them wrestling the man to the ground. "The blacktop was extremely hot," said Portz "He had no shirt on and they wouldn't let him up off the blacktop."

snip

According to Portz, Driver began to plead with them men. "He's begging, 'Please call an ambulance, let me up, do something, I'm gonna die," said Portz. He said the loss prevention employees called the police more than once, but another bystander called for an ambulance after realizing Driver was in trouble. Portz said he eventually began to plead with the Walmart employees. "I told them, this guy doesn't look like he's breathing," Portz said, "They said, 'He's all right."

snip

The store employees could not have known that the witness who was pleading with them to let Driver get up from the hot pavement was a high profile Houston attorney, from the Portz and Portz law firm.

snip

[JamesP81]

I strongly reccomend you read the whole article.

[RexBeach]

"Loss prevention employees"? Wow, what a euphemism!

Were they hired by "inventory maintenance employees"?

[Mr_Peter]

Why. There's nothing more of interest in the full article. Am I missing something?

[gov_bean_ counter]

Were they hired by "inventory maintenance employees"?

No, non-motorized parking lot conveyance specialists. Another level of training is required to get the little motorized carts back to the store.

[over3Owithabrain]

Crime doesn't pay. That's all I get from this.

[thefactor]

asphyxiation due to pressure on the chest. never leave someone lying on their stomach while they are immobilized. recipe for disaster. can you smell the lawyers?

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Crime doesn't pay. That's all I get from this.

It might for his survivors. Ka-ching!

[over3Owithabrain]

LOL - you are so right!

[Abathar]

The lawyer was standing there, the blood sucker even beat the ambulance to the scene.

[thefactor]

true, but should this guy be dead?

[Abathar]

Didn't this happen a while ago? I remember reading about this several weeks back.

[darkwing104]

Stuidity. The guy shouldn't stole. The Walmart employees were negligent and caused his death. They should of let him at the first sign of trouble. There are going to be big lawsuits.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

asphyxiation due to pressure on the chest. never leave someone lying on their stomach while they are immobilized.

It may depend on your physical condition.

[ContemptofCourt]

Well, unfortunately for him, since he is a witness he can't represent the dead guy....

[over3Owithabrain]

Didn't say he SHOULD be dead. But when you put yourself in these situations, anything can happen. Lesson learned for all the potential thugs out there...

[rabidralph]

Don't go shoplifting without wearing a shirt.

[vrwc0915]

According to Portz, Driver began to plead with them men. "He's begging, 'Please call an ambulance, let me up, do something, I'm gonna die," Portz said he eventually began to plead with the Walmart employees. "I told them, this guy doesn't look like he's breathing," Portz said, "They said, 'He's all right." He says he continued to plead with the men, pointing out that the man's fingernails were turning gray. "They said he's just high on something," adding, "They just kept him pinned down for twenty minutes or more until the ambulance came."

He said after the man was handcuffed he continued trying in vain to persuade the Walmart employees to allow him to get up, even pointing out that a second pair of cuffs could be used to attach the ones already on Driver to a nearby truck trailer

I have never stolen anything in my life, yet idiot cashiers have failed to deactivate the inventory control tags and I have almost gone hands on with the mall ninjas when they approached me, I was not trying to evade them I just would not allow them to touch me, they attempted to close with me while I was getting my receipt. If this account is true I think at least manslaughter charges should be filed

[eastforker]

I read the story and the comments by others at the end. I am amazed at the thinking of some people. They blame the walmart employees and not the thief for his actions. Another amazing thing is this is my walmart, been their many times and I have never seen anyone neer the door that would be considered loss prevention employees. Moral of story, don't steal and you won't ever have to worry about this happening to you.

[trubluolyguy]

I read the whole article.


Note to self....do not steal from Wal-Mart.


They will kill you.


This is no joke.

[JamesP81]

asphyxiation due to pressure on the chest. never leave someone lying on their stomach while they are immobilized. recipe for disaster. can you smell the lawyers?

Yeah, but this time it doesn't bother me. Shoplifting is a crime, but death is not an acceptable punishment. Killing someone for trying to make off with a pack of diapers is inexcusable. Also, the newspaper article notes:

We also remind readers that there is no proof he actually took anything.

That wasn't in the part I quoted, but is in the originial article.