Best Buy Employee Fired For Tackling Shoplifter

Question how did the thief manage to lift up a shop and then get beaten up by a store nerd?
 
I use to work for Best Buy in Loss Prevention. I had some guys dash out the door with a PS2 and some games. So I went out to get the lisence plate number. Guy pulled a gun on me. Wasn't in Arms reach or I would have got fierd to lol Just got back from a tour in Iraq (Marine) . People are crazy you never know what some one will do for a few bucks worth of shit. One guy sued BB because some one chased him and he had a heart attack lol These days here in the US poeple will shoot each other over dumb shit so I say just let them run out the door. The money isn't coming out your pocket. It's not worth getting shoot over a few bucks to save a million dollar company you work for.
 
Makeroflostsouls said:
I use to work for Best Buy in Loss Prevention. I had some guys dash out the door with a PS2 and some games. So I went out to get the lisence plate number. Guy pulled a gun on me. Wasn't in Arms reach or I would have got fierd to lol Just got back from a tour in Iraq (Marine) . People are crazy you never know what some one will do for a few bucks worth of shit. One guy sued BB because some one chased him and he had a heart attack lol These days here in the US poeple will shoot each other over dumb shit so I say just let them run out the door. The money isn't coming out your pocket. It's not worth getting shoot over a few bucks to save a million dollar company you work for.
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That's why thieves don't have to break into safes in stores anymore. The stores are usually open 24 hours and the employees trained to simply open the safe for the thief.
 
The same thing has happened at my place of work a couple of times. Both times it was to people who were pretty new to working there.
 
Xee said:
Well, since everyone is telling stories . . .

My boss told one day me why he would never lift a finger to stop a shoplifter. Many ears ago, a customer grabbed some merchandise and made a run for the back door. My boss and a manager from another department took off after him. Turns out they were faster him and by the time the guy made it out into the alley behind the store they had almost caught up to him. At the last second the guy turned around and pulled a gun from under his shirt. He then took both of their wallets and forced them to climb the 6-foot fence that separated the alley from the houses behind the store. My boss made it over without a problem but the other manager caught his leg on the top of the fence in his hurry to get over and tore it up pretty bad.

The thief ended up getting away but my boss felt grateful he was still alive. He said he's seen more than a few shoplifters since then but all he does is shrug his shoulders and go back to work.
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Story time... I was with a friend of mine (off duty-marine) in NYC a few years back and we got held up by a few young guys with large combat knives and baseball bats while walking back to our rental car after a late night uptown. I shot a quick glance at my friend to see what was up and he nice and calmly gave up the rest of his money by placing it on the ground with me following suit. We ran the other way down the alley and ducked into another bar that was open. I asked him later, "Aren't you trained to deal with crazy situations like that in the marines..." I thought maybe he might be tempted to use some of his skills to resolve the situation. He just shook his head and laughed. He replied that in his unit they were trained it was better to be smart than dead. He recognized that we were in a bad position and they looked like they were only out for the money so it was better to give up a few bucks than to go all special forces on their ass. He then proceeded to lament the great amount of paperwork he would have to do if he accidentally killed one of them.

I know, I know. TLDR. Short version: sometimes it is better to be smart than to engage in risky behavior; for example, like chasing down shoplifters.
 
auspexd said:
Story time... I was with a friend of mine (off duty-marine) in NYC a few years back and we got held up by a few young guys with large combat knives and baseball bats while walking back to our rental car after a late night uptown. I shot a quick glance at my friend to see what was up and he nice and calmly gave up the rest of his money by placing it on the ground with me following suit. We ran the other way down the alley and ducked into another bar that was open. I asked him later, "Aren't you trained to deal with crazy situations like that in the marines..." I thought maybe he might be tempted to use some of his skills to resolve the situation. He just shook his head and laughed. He replied that in his unit they were trained it was better to be smart than dead. He recognized that we were in a bad position and they looked like they were only out for the money so it was better to give up a few bucks than to go all special forces on their ass. He then proceeded to lament the great amount of paperwork he would have to do if he accidentally killed one of them.

I know, I know. TLDR. Short version: sometimes it is better to be smart than to engage in risky behavior; for example, like chasing down shoplifters.
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That's why I live in FL. We are allowed to own guns. If anyone tries to rob me, one of three things happen:

A. Robber dies, I live
B. I die, Robber lives
C. We both die

Is my money worth my life? Probably not. But will I fight until my dying breath to defend my property? Absolutely. If all U.S. citizens thought like me, robbers would think twice.
 
460cidpower said:
If all U.S. citizens thought like me, robbers would think twice.
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They would. They would actually be the only ones to think twice. Or even just once, since all U.S. citizens would be dead and not thinking anymore.
 
thax said:
dam that sucks but really what dumb ass stands in fount of a car?
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Sadly no one really knows why she did it, including her at this point.

That said I think there were two things that had a lot to do with it.

1. She had just chased 2 people out of the store and was more then likely amped up on adrenaline and not thinking clearly.
2. Morris, IL is a small farming town and really doesn't have much more crime the shoplifting, DUI, domestic violence and some B&E, so even if she was thinking clearly it probably never occurred to her that someone would hurt her over a shoplifting charge. If that was the case, she failed to take into account the Walmart is right off the Interstate 80 and they get a lot of traffic from outside of town. As it turned out the driver who hit her wasn't from the area.
 
As Tacitus once said,

"The more corrupt the regime, the more numerous the laws."
 
I was standing in line at PetSmart one day and this kid ran in and took about a half a dozen Flea n tick boxes that were on a display near the front door. Needless to say the kid ran back to a car that could be seen from the same front door and was open or should I say destroying the plastic security box these things were in. I looked at the girl and said "What the hell ?" She sighed and said "I'll tell the manager when she gets here at five, were not aloud to do anything." Just shook my head and paid for my shit and walked out.
 
Filter said:
are you guys joking about hte police officer at best buy?? ive been to hundreds of different best buys across the country and never have see a police officer there.
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Yeah its been a few years scince I lived on the road per say, I dont ever recall them either.
 
spaceman said:
Common sense is the most rare of elements in our legal system. We know right and wrong, the law and government just ......... you know. Etc. Etc.

In the 1950s, the kid would have been commended for getting the bad guy. Society and the legal systme have evolved to this point. Hopefully, it will either crash or otherwise experience a radical change back to realistic, common sense practices.

For my next trick, I will prove our existence!
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Wow. How old are you that you are comfortable referring to a 51-year-old man as "the kid"?
 
I had guns pulled on me a few times in retail.

Reality is I am not risking my life for some giant companies property.

What this dude did was pretty stupid, report it to loss prevention and let them deal with it.
 
Everyone is outraged he got fired over stopping a shoplifter, what happens if he "tackled" the shoplifter and they had a weapon and it killed him? No material thing is worth someones life, let them take it and have the police handle it.
 
Dextar said:
Everyone is outraged he got fired over stopping a shoplifter, what happens if he "tackled" the shoplifter and they had a weapon and it killed him? No material thing is worth someones life, let them take it and have the police handle it.
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Ifs and but wont get you much .
 
I don't smoke so I can avoid getting lung cancer.

I don't tackle shoplifters stealing property that doesn't belong to me so I can avoid being shot in the face.
 
Second hand smokw ill get you every time.

Yes it says alot about who you are.
 
Steve said:
Nice to know BB's policy now though, I can hear criminals all over the country lacing up their running shoes as they read this.
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strapping on my shoes now.. Though there wearing out, I wonder of footlocker has the same policy...
 
Sucks to be that guy, worked at best buy and got shafted by best buy, double lose.
 
I can understand the policy as a means of protecting their employees, but firing an employee for STOPPING A CRIME? Further evidence that if you want something of quality, you don't go to Best Buy for it.

Then again, this is the only country where criminals can sue their victims, so maybe it's society in should do be shaking my head at.
 
He should write a thank you letter to Best Buy for firing him, imho. It will probably have a positive impact on his life.
 
460cidpower said:
That's why I live in FL. We are allowed to own guns. If anyone tries to rob me, one of three things happen:

A. Robber dies, I live
B. I die, Robber lives
C. We both die

Is my money worth my life? Probably not. But will I fight until my dying breath to defend my property? Absolutely. If all U.S. citizens thought like me, robbers would think twice.
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Agree somewhat. Thats why I have my Concealed weapons permit. But thats if the situation permits. And if you do go to court, "I was in fear of my life" end of story.

Whats really sucks is when some jackass breaks into your house and hurts himself and sues you and win. Or when some jackass snowmobiler driver through your marked yard and tears his sled up and sues your and he wins. Its bullshit america. Dont like calling it home at times.
 
bastage said:
strapping on my shoes now.. Though there wearing out, I wonder of footlocker has the same policy...
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Don't worry. Dick's Sporting Goods does! The funny thing is how on-top of us they get about shrink, and continually hamstring us as per getting someone stopped.
 
What a crock of utter shit. I beat a guy with a broken branch after a 1/4 mile chase for stealing about 25 pounds of steaks back in the day. Of course he was stupid enough when corned to put his hands in his sweatpants like he had a knife... i didnt wait to find out if he had one, so i laid his ass out behind some old guys house.

I dont mind if someone steals... doesnt bother me in the least...just dont steal from me or mines...
 
Billings man gets new, better job with security force.

That would be an awesome headline to come up next!
 
Steve said:
Nice to know BB's policy now though, I can hear criminals all over the country lacing up their running shoes as they read this.
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I used to work Loss Prevention a few years back and it was that companies policy to grab people, not tackle them. Employees don't have formal training and are not licensed to pursue anyone. Once the person hit the parking lot I had to let them go. It's hard to effective perform the job because grabbing the wrong person could end up in an ass whooping or deadly situation, so I quit the job. People have to be restrained just in case they have a weapon or fight skills these days, too many people carry guns and/or taking MMA.

A plain clothes employee has a high probably of getting shot approaching customers, especially here in Florida.
 
Why is this news? This policy has been common practice for decades now, for many businesses. They don't want lawsuits, nor do they want a dead or severely injured employee.

Anyone who would risk their life over some merchandise that isn't even theirs is a moron anyway. If you're in that big of a hurry to die, just go slit your wrists at home instead of exposing your employer to potential liability.
 
bisby said:
The rules are there for a reason. They've been discussed.
A) You don't want to falsely accuse someone. -- The guy was CLEARLY the thief
B) You don't want to risk him pulling a weapon. -- Sounds like he had a laptop under each arm and wasn't exactly in a position to be pulling a weapon.
C) Crooks seeks damages. -- I think that's covered under the shopkeeper's privilege thing assuming we're all clear on A.
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D) You will likely do more harm to the merchandise than just letting him go and having the cops get it back. - If he had a laptop under each arm and was tackled what do you think happened to the laptops?
E) Customers dont want to see people assaulted in the store regardless of reason. - Lord knows if i was in best buy with my kid and watched this i would never be back i dont care what he stole.
F) The employee himself can get hurt leading to yet another lawsuit and potential liability if he gets really hurt. - Employee tackles customer and in the fall breaks his neck

Good intentions dont make it OK to do whatever you want.
 
Did any of you even read the story?

Here is what happened according to the article:

According to court records, the incident at the West End store began when the manager heard an emergency alarm sound on a back door. The manager said he saw a man carrying two boxed laptops running from the back door toward another door at the loading area.
That door was locked, so the thief dashed back through the store headed for the front doors.
As the man neared the front doors, he tripped, falling face first into the glass. Court records state that the man was held until police arrived.
Kline has a similar account, with a few additional details.
Kline said he was standing near the front doors when he heard the store manager announce on the speaker system that someone was running through the store trying to steal laptops.
Kline saw the running man and began to move toward the front doors. The man fell before he made it out of the store, slamming into the floor and the first set of glass doors.
That gave Kline enough time to get outside the second set of doors just as the man tried to make his final escape.
Kline described his next act as a "spontaneous thing."
"As he stood up, I grabbed a hold of him and threw him to the ground," he said.
Kline landed on top of the man and intended to hold him there until police arrived.
But the store manager approached and told Kline to back off.
"Roger, you have to let him go," Kline said he was told.
Kline followed his boss's direction, while an unidentified customer took Kline's place and held Latendresse until a police officer arrived.

----

The manager announced that someone was trying to steal laptops over the speaker system. So what did that manager expect people to do, nothing?

Then the robber ...over 40 years old himself...tripped and fell into the first set of doors on his own.

Finally Kline does take the guy down, but backs off when his manager says to let him go.

So how is it fair that the guy gets fired? He backed off when told to, and he got after the guy because his manager was on the speaker system. Also it was a customer who held the robber until the cops showed up.

What I'm really disgusted with is how this can be a 7 page thread and yet nobody seems to be able to click a link and read the article.
 
pgaster said:
Did any of you even read the story?

Here is what happened according to the article:

According to court records, the incident at the West End store began when the manager heard an emergency alarm sound on a back door. The manager said he saw a man carrying two boxed laptops running from the back door toward another door at the loading area.
That door was locked, so the thief dashed back through the store headed for the front doors.
As the man neared the front doors, he tripped, falling face first into the glass. Court records state that the man was held until police arrived.
Kline has a similar account, with a few additional details.
Kline said he was standing near the front doors when he heard the store manager announce on the speaker system that someone was running through the store trying to steal laptops.
Kline saw the running man and began to move toward the front doors. The man fell before he made it out of the store, slamming into the floor and the first set of glass doors.
That gave Kline enough time to get outside the second set of doors just as the man tried to make his final escape.
Kline described his next act as a "spontaneous thing."
"As he stood up, I grabbed a hold of him and threw him to the ground," he said.
Kline landed on top of the man and intended to hold him there until police arrived.
But the store manager approached and told Kline to back off.
"Roger, you have to let him go," Kline said he was told.
Kline followed his boss's direction, while an unidentified customer took Kline's place and held Latendresse until a police officer arrived.

----

The manager announced that someone was trying to steal laptops over the speaker system. So what did that manager expect people to do, nothing?

Then the robber ...over 40 years old himself...tripped and fell into the first set of doors on his own.

Finally Kline does take the guy down, but backs off when his manager says to let him go.

So how is it fair that the guy gets fired? He backed off when told to, and he got after the guy because his manager was on the speaker system. Also it was a customer who held the robber until the cops showed up.

What I'm really disgusted with is how this can be a 7 page thread and yet nobody seems to be able to click a link and read the article.
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Must have missed the part where the manager said to get physical with the would be robber. :rolleyes:

Announcing a thief is in the store != Saying GO GET HIM.

He broke the rules, he got fired. No amount of justification will change that.
 
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