Black Friday Pepper Spray: Shopper Who Doused Customers May Have Acted In Self-defense

A California shopper who unleashed a blast of pepper spray on at least 14 Walmart customers on Thanksgiving night was not charged with a crime. Police say she may have been acting in self-defense.

Los Angeles Police Department detectives in the San Fernando Valley reviewed a YouTube video and store surveillance footage, and interviewed witnesses before deciding to let the unnamed 32-year-old woman off the hook, according to The Los Angeles Daily News.

The original theory was the woman sprayed others in a crazed dash to get a discounted Microsoft Xbox at the start of the Christmas shopping season, but the footage convinced police that she possibly feared for her life amid a quasi-stampede.

The wanted woman turned herself in to authorities on Saturday as the story spread across the country, because violence during Christmas shopping has become a quasi-annual tradition and symptom ofmad consumer greed.

Although she surrendered to police, the woman wasn't fully cooperative, the LAPD's Devonshire division said. After telling cops her name, she wouldn't answer any questions, according to KCAL.

Comments

[ProfessorBIGWUN]

08:21 AM on 12/03/2011

She musta been white.

[44special]

08:56 PM on 12/03/2011

off duty cop

[mediocratic]

10:49 PM on 12/02/2011

she should get a job as a campus cop

[RealistBC]

04:45 PM on 12/01/2011

She probably waved her bank book at them and promised them a generous donation to the benevolent fund if they'd see things her way.

[ECJIM 3ABTPA BONHA]

04:08 PM on 12/01/2011

What a mess...

[Wonder Woman2]

11:34 AM on 12/01/2011

I am sorry but she needs to be charged.

[smastro1]

06:07 AM on 12/01/2011

So.... Did she get to buy the product she was after?

[mmrdaisley]

06:06 AM on 12/01/2011

Self defence? The argument is that people were pushing and shoving and she was getting crushed , so when she sprayed pepper spray and panic ensued resulting in more injuries , this relieved the problem?

[mjmorphis]

11:59 PM on 11/30/2011

Hopefully every one of the sprayees will file a civil suit against this idiot.

[tiptop3]

11:51 PM on 11/30/2011

it was a group basting w/ pepper oil...

[RealistBC]

04:45 PM on 12/01/2011

It IS a vegetable - just like Pizza!

[jgthomas]

11:20 PM on 11/30/2011

You ever notice Wal Mart is where all the bad stuff happens. Pepper spay because a person might have gotten trampled, guy shot in the parking lot, a person killed because they did get trampled a few years ago. Black friday sales like this should be outlawed. They encorage the worst behavior in us so a mega company can make a few extra dollars. It's sad and sick.

[sephia]

07:48 PM on 11/30/2011

If you bring it with you, you might as well use it. right?

[Rheinbear]

04:51 PM on 11/30/2011

It is just a food product, basically.

[Jereth James]

05:41 PM on 11/30/2011

Go ahead and film yourself eating it. I need a laugh.

[Sulk]

03:26 PM on 11/30/2011

Now, Basher. Now, Glancer. Now Pepper. Now Sprayum.
On, Vomit. On, Stupid. On, Blunder. On Mayhem.
Merry Xmas to all and to all a good fight.

[moccasinmike]

02:57 PM on 11/30/2011

the 14 were out of control and animals and that women was let go because she was placed in fear of her life by this out of control black friday thing and pepper spray is harmless as not a penny should go to these 14 un-ruly people. guess that shows how the radical ows accusations were dismissed as B.S and to the one blogger who wanted to no what she was doing with pepper spray hey ballon knot its legal and used by many women to defend themselves from rapists or is that to much for you.

[Lily P]

02:48 PM on 11/30/2011

Cool. So i'm gonna bring my 45 to Macy's next year. Hey! It's all self defense!

[Ray Russelburg]

04:01 PM on 11/30/2011

Taking it a bit far aren't you? Hope you got a concealed weapons permit or your in big trouble. BTW. I think Macys also has that "no conealed weapons allowed on premises" policy as allowed by law EVEN if you have THAT permit.... Sorry to burst your bubble but a pistol is a far cry from pepper spray bub....

[Lily P]

05:19 PM on 11/30/2011

Wow, you don't get sarcasm at all.

[Wonder Woman2]

11:35 AM on 12/01/2011

Have concealed carry permit will travel.....

[LunaFlight]

05:06 PM on 11/30/2011

You are not funny at all.

[Lily P]

05:20 PM on 11/30/2011

Well you're DEFINITELY not funny. Probably not ever. Sad.