Charges Possible in Black Friday Wal-Mart Death

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Run time: 01:34 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S6UKRaM5fA   Posted on YouTube: November 29, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: November 30, 2008 By DU Member: Amerigo Vespucci Views on DU: 3228

 

[ksimons]

1. squarely on Walmart - they created a nearly uncontrollable situation

and then went on to make sure it wasn't controllable with lack of enough security - negligence will be in their court vocabulary in the near future - and it's going to be oft repeated.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

26. Exactly! On their property, with their consent, and no real control nt

[Zombie2]

2. I hope they prosecute EVERY SINGLE PERSON that...

MURDERED this poor guy.

I've also read there was a pregnant lady trampled by this same crowd... she was taken to the hospital for observation.

[emilyg]

4. I hope so, too.

[ashling]

7. I seriously doubt that "murder" is an applicable term here.

I'm pretty sure that no one got up that morning with the intention of being first in line so they could trample to death the first person that got in their way. But then, maybe there are roving gangs of criminally rude shoppers going around looking for store employees to run over. :sarcasm:

ASIDE:(I won't be so crass as to suggest that it's just a New York thing, tough I am sure that there are many that would jump to that conclusion if this happened in my state. In fact, I send my sincere condolences to people from Long Island.)

If I understand the situation correctly, the crowd -- read: mob -- situation meant that those in the rear pushing were no less responsible. Maybe manslaughter or negligent homicide. Unfortunately there is no law against criminally rude behavior.

Negligent Homicide on the part of Mal Fart for creating this situation --Hell, the sign said "Blitz Line" more like blitzKrieg!

If I were still practicing law, I would be glad to provide my services pro bono to this guy's family to sue Mal Fart for setting this thing up without the proper controls for what was a pretty foreseeable situation.

[LuckyEmily25]

8. none

The person maybe smart, people are stupid turns out deathly so.

[ashling]

23. ?

sorry, I can't make out you're point

[2Design]

25. they consider it murder even in car accidents now n/t

[ashling]

28. Murder requires either premeditation

or a wanton and reckless disregard for safety ... drinking and driving, wonton wrecklessness, sure ...

going shopping and finding yourself at the front of a frenzied stampeding crowd ....

I would love to defend that one :shrug:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. Interesting that they are saying there was added security--

that's not what the first reports said. I hope the DA is able to sort it all out and get to the truth.

[tsuki]

5. Added security...that is why a temp was opening the doors, alone. Yeah, right.

I wondered how long it would be before the powers that be started lying for WalMart.

[ColbertWatcher]

6. Exactly. Check out these pics (at DU link inside) ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4554275&mesg_id=4554814

[Sonicmedusa]

9. I have no doubt they had added security

....Added security watching the security cameras for theft.

But they don't give a shit about PEOPLE, just their inventory.

[ColbertWatcher]

20. If someone can prove that, damn.

Wal-Mart will be in some deep shit if it gets out.

[LiberalFighter]

17. Added security as untrained rent a cops

[LatteLibertine]

10. I feel

out of control consumerism injected into very selfish people with no empathy or conscience is the root of this bullshit. People that are taught; empathy, conscience and some degree of impulse control from an early age do not behave in that manner. That is unless they have something fundamentally wrong with them. The growing number of sociopaths in this country, of all stripes and types, is alarming.

[bjobotts]

11. That was the worst, most pathetic news coverage I've seen in awhile

A person laughing while he talks of how ridiculous the incident was and "they just murdered the guy" chuckle chuckle. Just pathetic. The whole idea of predator shopping should be abolished since it caused the loss of human life. Why is it necessary that such deals have to be for hours only and to the point of having shoppers lined up at the doors.

They could just as easily have asked people what they wanted to buy that was on sale and limited and handed out numbers to those in line to avoid the rush of the most dominate.

[bjobotts]

12. They could have handed out numbers to those waiting in line to avoid the rush

[bjobotts]

13. We're talkling about a man's life lost by such 'dominate' shopping tactics.

[TheEuclideanOne]

14. And this was the first Black Friday ever for Wal-Mart?

Wal-Mart has to deal with this every year. They have a pretty good idea of how much security is needed. It should not come as a shock to them that there would be a huge number of people on Black Friday. My guess is that, like every business hit by the economy, that they have reduced staff and tried to cover black Friday with fewer people than really needed.

[ColbertWatcher]

15. I agree.

" ... they have reduced staff and tried to cover black Friday with fewer people than really needed."

I think you nailed it with this.

[itsrobert]

16. Why was it the temps job to open the door?

I would think the store manager would have that honor on such a festive occasion. They called the line, the "Blitz"? A blitz in football is an all out rush. Looks like the store was egging the crowd on.

And the extra security (I agree with the above poster) were uncovered looking for shoplifters and manning the security cameras.

[stark6935]

18. This is why I love christmas.

It really makes people remember their values.

[kmdemqueen]

19. let us hope we keep them.

[ColbertWatcher]

21. Kick. n/t

[drgonzosghost]

22. How sad is it that the only picture they have of this poor man...

is over 20 years old? This was a guy who Jesus would have certainly called "the least of my people". God rest his soul...

[ColbertWatcher]

24. He was 34, but someone found another one.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4561337&mesg_id=4561337

[Ms. Toad]

27. It is ridiculous to suggest

that charges will be brought against the individuals who stepped on the man, if they can be identified.

Anyone who has ever been caught in a crowd should know that if the crowd is shoving forward, there is little those at the front of the crowd could have done to avoid stepping on a person lying on the ground at their feet - trying to do so(if they could think that quickly) would likely have resulted in them joining him on the ground.

I have a 20+ year old back injury because I was at the front of a crowd (at a high school pep rally). The rally ended up in a pig pile with me at the bottom. The people directly on top of me could no more have prevented themselves from landing on me than I could have gotten myself out of the way of the massive rush down the bleachers. It is the same situation at WalMart. Both were caused by poor planning for crowd control - in my case the school administration failed to ensure that my fellow teachers actually reported for crowd control duty - and then tried to hold the students past school dismissal time. At WalMart, they had no apparent plan for gradual admission to the store, or passing out numbers based on line position, etc. and then tried to hold the crowd back after the advertised opening time.

Mob mentality is not a good thing, but it is unfortunately reality. Those who happen to be at the front of the mob being shoved forward should not be held liable for being unable to prevent being carried along by the mob.

[whathappened]

29. new kid on the block

there is no way this new hire should have been the 1 opening the door , my wife worked for walmarts and quit last year , but she has been thru the black friday shopping rush , this new hire would have no idea what to exspect when he opened these doors , management new and handed him the keys anyways , no way 1 person should have tryed to control this crowd , if he was in the no , he would have opened the doors and got out of the way , so walmart and the manager of this store should be the 1 that faces the music for this young mans death