Walmart, the world's largest retailer, was already plagued with controversy leading up to Black Friday as many workers planned to strike due to low wages and poor health benefits, but a store in Lithonia, Georgia garnered even more bad press after an alleged shoplifter was killed by security guards.
Early Sunday morning at a Walmart store, an unidentified man allegedly stole two DVD players from the electronics department and left the store through the front door, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Walmart employees and a hired security guard chased him into the parking lot where they broke out into a fight. The security guard put the man in a choke hold which ultimately caused his death.
When police and the ambulance arrived, the man was unresponsive and bleeding from his nose and mouth. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
"No amount of merchandise is worth someone's life," said Walmart spokesperson Dianna Gee in a statement. "Associates are trained to disengage from situations that would put themselves or others at risk."
"That being said, this is still an active investigation and we're working with police to provide any assistance," she added. Walmart put the two employees on paid leave and fired the security guard.
"This is truly a sad situation," Gee said. "We don't know all of the facts right now. We're in the process of working with law enforcement to determine all of the facts and cooperating and providing any information we have to assist in the investigation."
