LITHONIA, Ga. (WJW) — Police responded to a report of a shoplifter to find the suspect unresponsive and bleeding from his nose and mouth, the Atlantic Journal-Constitution reported. The man was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Police told the AJC the man took two DVD players from a Walmart in Georgia around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday but was confronted by two associates and a contract security officer outside.
The security officer may have put the man in a choke hold, police said.
A Walmart spokesperson said its employees are trained to disengage from situations that would put themselves or others at risk.
The AJC reported when police arrived at the scene, the trio that caught and subdued the man was still on top of him. When an officer placed handcuffs on the suspect, he was limp.
The Walmart associates were suspended with pay pending the outcome of an investigation. The security officer will no longer be working for Walmart.
