I was held against my will and harrassed at a Walmart store,

!2/4/2009


Dear Walmart,
I'm writing you of a situation that has me very disturbed and humiliated that has happened at one of your stores. I would normally be trying to forget about it, but it's been almost a week and I find myself not sleepng because of it (it's currurently 2:30 am as I write this.)
I was shopping in your Loganville Store when I was harrassed by several of the employees there while trying to leave after a purchase. The copy of the enclosed receipt will place the time and day this occurred. I know Walmart has security cameras that record and can be reviewed when such situations happen. I was checking out and leaving the store, when my Mom and I were asked to check our receipts. This is common at your stores (some more than others,) and we each volunteered our bags. Your security tapes should confirm this. My Mom was checked first. a tall, white, elderly man looked at her receipt and was reading the fine print at the bottom before he returned it (of which I thought was strange at the time), and never checked her bag. That was ok by me. She didn't have much in her bag and I didn't think much about it. I then volunteered my bag, and the man proceed to check and count it. he seemed to fumble through it, but kept counting. As other customers passed us, he kept trying to stop them and tell them that he needed to chech thier bags. This went on for a few minutes, and I asked him for my receipt back. I wanted to leave and was tired of standing there. Keep in mind, I stopped and volunteered my bag. He refused to return my receipt and kept recounting. Finally, tiring of the game, I took my bag from the podium and asked for my receipt again. He proceeded to hold my receipt out like I was some child trying to get my candy. A young black woman came up to us and took the receipt from him and asked what the problem was. He told her he had not finished checking my bag. I told her that he had checked my bag several times, and would not let me leave. At this point I was starting to feel harrassed an I was being held against my will. Understand, I had just left your checkout a few feet from the exit. No alarms had gone off, and I had VOLUNTEERED my bag to your staff. She told the greeter (and I use that term loosely now) that there were 14 items in the bag, and to go ahead and check them. He then proceeded to count out loud and noted that there were 14 items. She returned my receipt, and told the greeter he should apologize to me. The man the walked away from us towards the registers, not saying anything. I abruptly told him that I knew that this was not Walmart's policy and that he should not be working there if he treated customers that way.
Suddenly, a group, (I should say horde,) of employees raced up to me, one, a bald man with a button-up dress shirt, stopping a few inches from my face. I started to tell him what had happed and stopped and asked Him not to stand so close. He preceeded to tell me, with his teeth clenched, to get out of HIS store. You could have knocked me over with a feather at this point. I stated "What?" He said again, "Get out of my store," again, "and don't come back." He then turned to a young white woman, and told her to call the Police. I said "fine" and started to walk away. At this point heated words were being said between the Manager and I, (I assume he was a manager to tel lme to get out of HIS store.) We did not raise our voices or argue. I had stopped talking, and realized that he had kept following me out the door, two inches from my person, all the way out. I knew this was an intimidation tactic but kept walking. He saw the police squad car and stopped following me, pointing to assure the police that I was the one he was coming for. I had committed no crime, assaulted no one, and threatened no one, yet was made to feel like a criminal just by being a customer at Walmart. Up to this time Walmart was a favorite store and Loganville was my favorite one. I shopped there frequently (3-5 times a week.)
I tell you the rest of this story, because it adds insult to injury.
A Loganville Officer, (I now use this terem loosely also,) pulled up to a screeching halt in front of my mother's car. I was visiting her for the Holidays. I am 45 years old , overweight ande recently had a heart attack with triple bypass surgery. my Mom is 65, diabetic, and very tiny. We did not pose much of a threat. The officer told me to stand by my mother's car while talked to the manager. I asked the officer i I could tell him what happened. He said he would talk to the manager first, then me. The manager told his story as i watched him make jerking motions in front of the officer, and then officer Conner came to me. He proceded to tell me how they had to check bags as you left and that he had shopped there yesterday.I tried to let him know that I had volunteered my bag to be checked. He did not want to listen to me. He told me that he was going to put a peace bond on me and tha I was never to come back to that store again. I stated, 'Wow, Loganville sucks" under my breath. He yelled at me,"Don't say that!" I said, Why can't I say that. Freedom Of Speech is a constitutional right. he stated, "Not here it isn't, and if you say it again, I'll through you in jail for public misconduct." An employee then brought out a form and asked the officer for my driver's license. I didn't realize a public servant could surrender a driver's license or any personal information, to a total stranger.I also didnt realize that Walmart had a form to ban it's customers from thier property. At one point my Mom came out of her car and told the Officer that she was having a hypoglycemic reaction. He told her to just get back in the car. I am a Nurse an have been taking care of the elderly for over 20 years. I would consider this Elder Abuse. She could have died.
I hope you would have a representative review your security tapes to see what happened. I noticed the Manager's name on the receipt was John Day. I would have called and talked to him, but frankly, I don't want to go back to the store at this time, and I don't know if the person who harrassed and stalked me was John Day. I would hope It isn't.
I hope this can be resolved for Walmart and my sake. as of this point I will never shop in Walmart again and will keep telling my friends and Relatives of this story, and hopefully, it's better outcome.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely, XXXXX XXXXX