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My son who is 15 went into a Walmart last night with 2 of his friends. The oldest was 20 and the other was 15 like my son. I knew that he was riding with the 20 year old driving and thought they were going straight to their house to spend the night. They stopped at Walmart and here's how it went:
My son's story
They went into Walmart and picked up some brownies, then we went to the movie section to buy a movie to watch because the local Blockbuster is closed. They were there, looking at movies when 4 CMPD officers showed up along with the night manager and yanked them away and began to frisk them stating they were stealing. They didn't find anything on them but asked for their information. My son and his friend didn't even have their learner's permit yet and the brother of his friend had his NC DL. The cops took their names, addresses and parent's phone numbers. The manager told them they were banned from the store. They left and my son called me nearly in tears. The worst thing they apparently did was break curfew--and for that much I reamed him out, BUT, I hung up from him knowing he was safe at his friend's house and called the night manager at Walmart.
He told me that it was all a mistake. That the police had been called from a caller outside the store who told them someone was stealing something "much worse than movies"--this is the mgr's words. Then he proceeded to tell me that he was sorry, my son and his friends were not banned and it was just an ooooops...we screwed up.
What I wanna know is....WHAT THE F***? Cops put their hands on my child without knowing for sure they had something in their pockets and it turns out they were not even the description they had of the apparent thief. Someone pointed them out to the cops in the store. WHO pointed them out? I have no idea, couldn't get that info...yet.
My ex husband is P*SSED and so am I. He plans on talking to someone, either the cops or walmart's general manager, not just the night mgr. He is not going to let this lie. They terrorized my son. ****4**** CMPD cops for 2 scrawny 15 year old clean cut kids with a package of brownies in plain sight and a 20 year old clean cut kid. They weren't doing anything according to the mgr, not being rowdy, crude, rude, or anything, they were looking at MOVIES!
What do we do? Where do we start? My son was to the point of tears telling me this.
First, and most important- they broke curfew. Regardless of being clean cut 15 year olds, they did break the law. Sure its crappy that someone accused them of something they didnt do, but if they were where they were supposed to be, it wouldnt have happened.
Second- the cops put their hands on your kid, because that's what cops do. First, they had suspicion that he and his friends were in possession of stolen property. Second, a cop that doesnt protect himself could well be a dead cop- if they hadnt frisked the boys, they were taking unnecessary risks.
Third- the night manager screwed up. He admitted he screwed up, and apologized. Not sure what more he can do. Are you looking for someone to validate that you have a potential lawsuit against Walmart and/or CMPD? I seriously doubt you do. Seems to me that this was a big mistake, but the ultimate responsibility lies on the children who were somewhere that they shouldnt have been.
I think I would calm down first. Then I'd go have a face to face with the Mgr at WM (along with my kid) so both sides of the story can be told in the presence of the other person. Then I'd request to meet with the lead officer that showed up and ask for the CMPD version of what happened. I'd do the same with the other boys and their parents (more for the sake of the minor).
Somewhere in the midst of all that will be the truth and you'll also have the respective point of view of each party involved.
Sounds like all parties may have some culpability here, based on what you've typed so far. Your kid was wrong for even being there (as you said). The others were acting on a "report" of a third party it sounds like. I'd want to hear all the facts and then draw a conclusion / plan of action (whatever that may be).
The cops got a call about someone stealing stuff and your kid/friends fit the description. As you said, someone pointed them out. Who care who? None of your business unless you go to trial.
As for 4 cops...if there are three suspects they are certainly bringing more than one cop (and most walmart anymore are near/next to a police sub-station). They are just doing their job.
If you called the cops and said three teenagers just broke into your car and then they came but didn't question the three clean cut kids walking around at that time because they didn't "look" like thieves, you would be pissed.
Lesson for your kid: Life is tough, wear a helmet.
Terrorized??? Hands all over??? Seriously, don't you think you are being a little dramatic?
Are cops and WalMart mgrs not allowed to make mistakes???
What would I do? I'd be thankful my son learned a lesson what happens if you DO steal and hopefully he will be scared straight from ever actually doing it. Consider it a dry run. Sort of like when the cops bring the smashed car to high school on the day of the prom.
If thats not good enough then call yr local congressman and ask to modify the current shoplifting laws.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sandyrn0224
My son who is 15 went into a Walmart last night with 2 of his friends. The oldest was 20 and the other was 15 like my son. I knew that he was riding with the 20 year old driving and thought they were going straight to their house to spend the night. They stopped at Walmart and here's how it went:
My son's story
They went into Walmart and picked up some brownies, then we went to the movie section to buy a movie to watch because the local Blockbuster is closed. They were there, looking at movies when 4 CMPD officers showed up along with the night manager and yanked them away and began to frisk them stating they were stealing. They didn't find anything on them but asked for their information. My son and his friend didn't even have their learner's permit yet and the brother of his friend had his NC DL. The cops took their names, addresses and parent's phone numbers. The manager told them they were banned from the store. They left and my son called me nearly in tears. The worst thing they apparently did was break curfew--and for that much I reamed him out, BUT, I hung up from him knowing he was safe at his friend's house and called the night manager at Walmart.
He told me that it was all a mistake. That the police had been called from a caller outside the store who told them someone was stealing something "much worse than movies"--this is the mgr's words. Then he proceeded to tell me that he was sorry, my son and his friends were not banned and it was just an ooooops...we screwed up.
What I wanna know is....WHAT THE F***? Cops put their hands on my child without knowing for sure they had something in their pockets and it turns out they were not even the description they had of the apparent thief. Someone pointed them out to the cops in the store. WHO pointed them out? I have no idea, couldn't get that info...yet.
My ex husband is P*SSED and so am I. He plans on talking to someone, either the cops or walmart's general manager, not just the night mgr. He is not going to let this lie. They terrorized my son. ****4**** CMPD cops for 2 scrawny 15 year old clean cut kids with a package of brownies in plain sight and a 20 year old clean cut kid. They weren't doing anything according to the mgr, not being rowdy, crude, rude, or anything, they were looking at MOVIES!
What do we do? Where do we start? My son was to the point of tears telling me this.
What would you do????????
I would not darken the door of that Walmart again. Drive to another or find alternatives. There are plenty of alternatives. I don't like a lot of WalMart's corporate actions, so I don't shop there & I don't pay through the nose for stuff, either.
Then tell everyone who you know in real life that you are not going there anymore & why.
I used to be a nice, clean-cut 15 year-old kid. I have four other brothers who were more or less the same. This kind of stuff used to happen to us all the time. We'd be pulled over, searched, whatever, just because we vaguely resembled someone or a group of teens who did something. Hell, I'd be banned from businesses just because I resembled someone else who had stolen from them. My older brother was even locked up one night in Rhode Island for "vagrancy" (they were in a car. How could they have been vagrants?). Anyway, it comes with the territory. Let it go.
I said that his Dad wanted to take it further. Yeah, they shouldn't have been out, I SAID that. I didn't ask for a bunch of nasty comments, I said where my son went wrong and I accepted responsibility for that, but the entire situation was blown way of proportion by all of the ADULTS involved when there were 3 teenagers looking at MOVIES minding their own business, by the admission of the manager they weren't even rowdy. So...to frisk them right there, in Electronics, shove them in the back like felons even when they didn't have a thing on them but brownies seems like excess to me!!! I don't know about y'all but if it were your kid you might think different.
Yeah, life sucks then ya die, but at 15 breaking curfew when he didn't even know t here was a curfew was WRONG, but as for the rest of it it was BS. I wasn't planning on doing anything else, I had moved on, it was the ex hubby...but by God, this forum has pretty much changed my mind.
Cop a freaking FEEL!? Grow up.............
They learned a lesson. Don't break curfew, and decent kids who have done not committed a freaking felony and they had no reason to believe THESE kids did a thing do not deserved to be, yes, terrorized!
Screw it.
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