NEW YORK (AP) - Police were reviewing video from surveillance cameras in an attempt to identify who trampled to death a Wal-Mart worker after a crowd of post-Thanksgiving shoppers burst through the doors at a suburban store and knocked him down. Criminal charges were possible, but identifying individual shoppers in Friday's video may prove difficult, said Detective Lt. Michael Fleming, a Nassau County police spokesman. Other workers were trampled as they tried to rescue the man, and customers stepped over him and became irate when officials said the store was closing because of the death, police and witnesses said. OK prvious reports said the customers ripped the doors of the hinges, this says the worker killed was opening the doors and was trampled. Police said about 2,000 people were gathered outside the Wal-Mart doors before its 5 a.m. opening at a mall about 20 miles east of Manhattan. The impatient crowd knocked the employee, identified by police as Jdimytai Damour, to the ground as he opened the doors, leaving a metal portion of the frame crumpled like an accordion. iWon News - Sought: Wal-Mart shoppers who trampled NY worker
It was actually a couple of years ago. There was a movie even made about it (as well as their other business practices) - WAL-MART: The High Cost of Low Price. Sad to hear that someone was trampled to death yesterday. What's even more sad is that I wasn't surprised to hear the news.
I live a few towns over from this Mall and it all just makes me sick. Most people avoid this Mall for over the years they have had CONSTANT trouble with crime,drugs,vandalism and shootings. Still..how does something like this happen? You have heartless,clueless,greedy people getting up at 4am the day after Thanksg to try and get bargains of bargains. Wow..saving $20 on some piece of garbage that you just have to have. From some of the vidoe being shown you can see they were already having problems outside with people getting rowdy and pushing and shoving before anyone was even let in to get to the front doors. I don't know what bothers me more...the ANIMALS who just trampled and stepped over the people getting crushed...the people who felt it thier right to push open the doors and fight their way in or specifically the 28yr old pregnant woman who found it so so important to get up at 4am...sit in the cold...fight with the crowds...put herself and her baby at risk...to save on an ipod or dvd player??? Dear Lord...where are we going? where are our priorities in life? AT 4am I was sleeping with my wife and waking up with my 2 little boys safe in our warm home..although minus the HUGE savings we would have gotten on our 4th ipod or big screen TV or dvds that we never watch. Makes me sick at the thought
Debby I agree, its crass and sickmaking. Here at my home its just me & Mom (dad died in 1999) and my brother who lives in Ft Lauderdale. Only the three of us.....we stopped doing Christmas presents 6 or 7 years ago. No need to do all that for what ? So people can die ?
The holidays have become one big sickening shopping affair. The true meaning of the holidays has been ripped away by retail stores and their never ending agendas to make more and more money. What blows my mind is your not really saving money! They just aren't ripping you off as bad on certain products as they normally do. To kill someone, to trample them just to try to be the first to get an item is maddening. I blame the stores more then anyone, although the people that did this should be held accountable. They put items on the shelves at low prices knowing dam well they don't have enough to meet the demand of the shopping, which leads to the chaos.
What makes this all the scarier is that Wal-Mart drives other stores out of business. There's a saying: "The worst thing you can do is not sell your product at Wal-Mart. The second worst thing you can do is sell your product at Wal-Mart." For many people, it's the only option and that trend will probably continue, especially with a severe recession looming. I wonder if people arming themselves before they go shopping becomes more and more common. What may have to happen is have police in riot gear stand before the crowd on Black Friday.
There are plenty of reasons to hate Wal Mart if you so choose..... I do personally but that's for another thread, this incident isn't one of those reasons though. For those trying to place blame on the store, that's a little much. This type of event isn't that uncommon. It's just one of the rare times someone gets killed. Their are injuries every single year from acts of mindless mob shoppers during holiday sales. The avg. person is a complete idiot. It's sad but true. Just 2 years ago at a mall here in S. FL. a crowd broke down a metal gate before workers could open it at a Brandsmart. The gate fell and a stampede ensued where a number of people were trampled. Laying on the ground people simply stepped right on top of them for the chance to save $50. Sad society. The only thing these stores could do would be to hire extra security and supply them with cattle prods.
Just arm a half dozen workers with Tazers and station them at the door. Its sad that these mobs cause this kind of chaos. The greed and selfishness exhibited by so many people is just astounding. Working in retail, I see it almost every day, its disheartening. I cant find a real job soon enough.
