Sought: Wal-Mart shoppers who trampled NY worker

[mtm1963]

Nov 29, 7:11 AM (ET)

By COLLEEN LONG

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.

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"When they were saying they had to leave, that an employee got killed, people were yelling 'I've been on line since yesterday morning,'" she said. "They kept shopping."

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20081129/D94OJ4NG0.html

mtm1963

[patrickt]

I was in a crowd at a festival and a group of students farther back in the crowd were singing and surging forward. I don't think they had any idea the effect they were having on those towards the front. I was being shoved forward and there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop it. In front of me was an elderly woman with a child. She was staggering and I told my friend that if she fell we had to pick her up quickly or she'd be trampled. I said, "I'll get the old woman, you get the kid." Fortunately, she didn't fall and we made it out.

I don't think people realize that those in front may well have had no option. The impetus isn't necessarily from those in front but rather those behind.

[Winnb]

Nov 29, 7:11 AM (ET)

By COLLEEN LONG

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.

----

"When they were saying they had to leave, that an employee got killed, people were yelling 'I've been on line since yesterday morning,'" she said. "They kept shopping."

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20081129/D94OJ4NG0.html

mtm1963

Complete insanity.

[Mirror Lake 444]

A stampede in Wallmart and all this to get Christmas gifts at bargain prices? Not only is this absurd, tragic, and pathetic but don't these people have a friggin' life? :mad: :mad: :mad:

[Winnb]

A stampede in Wallmart and all this to get Christmas gifts at bargain prices? Not only is this absurd, tragic, and pathetic but don't these people have a friggin' life? :mad: :mad: :mad:

I don't know. I have no concept of the mentality of someone that desperate to buy a freakin xmas gift. It's insane.

[beg your pardon]

This is why I slept till 11:30 AM.

[USA-1]

This event makes me ashamed to be an American. These people were just average, typical Joe 6-pack Americans.

[Winnb]

This event makes me ashamed to be an American. These people were just average, typical Joe 6-pack Americans.

Some may have even been plumbers. ;)

[USA-1]

Some may have even been plumbers. ;)

The thing is this could have been any Walmart anyplace in the country. This is what we have become. Merry Christmas.

[ptac4x4]

The thing is this could have been any Walmart anyplace in the country. This is what we have become. Merry Christmas.

This is what some have become, not all. I don't think this is the majority of Americans. There are those of us who remember what Christmas is about, and it is not the commercialization of buying gifts, going shopping at 0400, or I got to be first to have. I hope some day the Walmart mob that just had to get in will realize what they did.

[AgentM]

Mass consumerism kills, sad. :(

[USA-1]

This is what some have become, not all. I don't think this is the majority of Americans. There are those of us who remember what Christmas is about, and it is not the commercialization of buying gifts, going shopping at 0400, or I got to be first to have. I hope some day the Walmart mob that just had to get in will realize what they did.

I do think it's the majority. We had the mobs at our Walmart too and look at the crowds at the malls. It's amazing there weren't more tragedies.
Commercialization of Christmas has made holiday shopping so important to the health of the economy. It's business.
I do not "Christmas shop", haven't for decades and I guarrentee I am in the minority. I get called scrooge every year.

[Oliphaunt]

Pathetic...


I hope they saved a little money.. :rolleyes:

[Winnb]

I do think it's the majority. We had the mobs at our Walmart too and look at the crowds at the malls. It's amazing there weren't more tragedies.
Commercialization of Christmas has made holiday shopping so important to the health of the economy. It's business.
I do not "Christmas shop", haven't for decades and I guarrentee I am in the minority. I get called scrooge every year.

Welcome to the club Bro. We meet on Wednesday nights. I'll get you one of our cool jackets. ;) I welcome the "Scrooge" label every year.

I'm not a religious person, but even I recognize the beauty in the teachings of Jesus Christ. None of which I see at Christmas time in the US. I should say I rarely see.

[AgentM]

Welcome to the club Bro. We meet on Wednesday nights. I'll get you one of our cool jackets. ;) I welcome the "Scrooge" label every year.

I'm not a religious person, but even I recognize the beauty in the teachings of Jesus Christ. None of which I see at Christmas time in the US. I should say I rarely see.

I enjoy Christmas, and exchanging gifts and such. But you're right, it is basically a Hallmark Holiday.

[Mirror Lake 444]

One more reason not to fight the crowds to Christmas shop -- you might get killed! :rolleyes:

For God's sake it more fun to shop on line if you have to anyway!

[ptac4x4]

I do not "Christmas shop", haven't for decades and I guarrentee I am in the minority. I get called scrooge every year.

Neither do we. It is more important for us to get family together for a good meal and catch up with those we do not see but a few times a year. Christmas is way over commercialized to be enjoyable being out and about in stores. Maybe that's one reason companies call it the Holidays rather than Christmas or trying to be PC. As Walter said, "Happy Holidays?, scrxx you, it's Merry Christmas"

[Riddley]

Maybe that's one reason companies call it the Holidays rather than Christmas
I hadn't thought of that, good point.

This is terrible incident but is mostly about lack of proper crowd control more than anything else, IMO.

[Mirror Lake 444]

I hadn't thought of that, good point.

This is terrible incident but is mostly about lack of proper crowd control more than anything else, IMO.

Since you mention it:

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local&id=6529135

"This incident was avoidable," said Bruce Both, President of United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500. "Where were the safety barriers? Where was security? How did store management not see dangerous numbers of customers barreling down on the store in such an unsafe manner?" asked President Both. "This is not just tragic; it rises to a level of blatant irresponsibility by Wal-Mart. UFCW Local 1500 will demand a full investigation by all levels of Government to ensure both justice for the surviving family members and to ensure the safety of current employees and the general public. This can never be allowed to happen again and those responsible must be held accountable," Both concluded.

Director of Special Projects for Local 1500 Patrick Purcell called Wal-Mart's comments in response to the incident both "cold and heartless." "If the safety of their customers and workers was a top priority, then this never would have happened," Purcell stated. "Wal-mart must step up to the plate and ensure that all those injured, as well as the family of the deceased, be financially compensated for their injuries and their losses. Their words are weak. The community demands action," Purcell concluded.

[Winnb]

Since you mention it:

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local&id=6529135

I like this:

"The store reopened around 1 p.m."

So a guy gets trampled in the store and has a heart attack. He dies. The police are investigating, but the store opens back up the same day.

Oh man. Welcome to America. Where nothing stops us from making a buck.

[IDK]

I went to Mt. Hood on Friday. Had a great time.

Since when was Christmas about Jesus? I thought it was about Santa and buying happiness.

[Mirror Lake 444]

I went to Mt. Hood on Friday. Had a great time.

Since when was Christmas about Jesus? I thought it was about Santa and buying happiness.

No it's about keeping the stores in business and how good or bad they did this Christmas season. At least that's all I ever hear out of the media this time of year.

Oh I take that back. The media also reports on any tragedies the can find.

[USA-1]

The US draconian gun laws caused this tragedy. Had all Walmart employees been carrying guns, it would not have happened.

[Dangerrmouse]

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and suggest a trend may possibly be forming.......:D

[USA-1]

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and suggest a trend may possibly be forming.......:D

I will do my part.

[Mirror Lake 444]

The US draconian gun laws caused this tragedy. Had all Walmart employees been carrying guns, it would not have happened.

This baby would have made them think twice about charging the door!

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a169/CecilBaird1/aaad.jpg

[USA-1]

That should work pretty good for crowd control.

[AgentM]

Don't even put ammo in that chaingun, just place it at the doorway, and spin it up, that'll freak 'em out! :D

[USA-1]

Don't even put ammo in that chaingun, just place it at the doorway, and spin it up, that'll freak 'em out! :D

It would be better with ammo to fire warning shots.

[AgentM]

It would be better with ammo to fire warning shots.

Yeah but you can't really aim that thing up...a "warning shot" might not be such a warning. :p

[Mirror Lake 444]

Yeah but you can't really aim that thing up...a "warning shot" might not be such a warning. :p

Naah you get one of those Wallmart expendable elderly greeters (the ones Wallmart got caught taking out life insurance policies on ) and get him to hold up the barrel while you fire. :D

[Mirror Lake 444]

I have to wonder what caliber of people become store managers for Wallmart. Myself and at least four other individuals in other states that used to display items in their sporting good section have had those items either stolen by store managers or taken with them when they relocate. We are talking about items in the several hundred dollar range in value.