A man suspected of shoplifting from a Walmart in Lithonia, Georgia is dead after being in a "physical altercation" with store employees, according to a police report obtained by WSB-TV Channel 2 Action News.
The police report said that the alleged shoplifter left the Walmart through the front door with two DVD players at around 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning. He was detained in the parking lot by two Walmart associates and a security officer.
Police arrived to find the employees on top of the suspect, who was reportedly unresponsive and bleeding from his nose and mouth.
A preliminary investigation indicates the victim was placed in a chokehold by the security officer, reports The Atlanta Journal Constitution. However, the cause of death has not yet been released.
According to a statement from Walmart spokeswoman Dianna Gee, the security officer is no longer working for Walmart, and the two associates involved in the altercation have been suspended without pay.
“This is truly a sad situation," said Gee said in a statement. "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."
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