Man Arrested After Walmart Greeter Beaten

[The Straight Story]

Man Arrested After Walmart Greeter Beaten
Report: Victim, 69, Beaten About Head


PALM BAY, Fla. -- Palm Bay police say a man is in jail after a 69-year-old greeter at Walmart was beaten about the head.

According to police, 23-year-old Skyler Lowery was doing some post-Christmas holiday shopping when he attacked the victim shortly after 8 a.m. on Saturday.

Police said Lowery was seen in video footage taken at the store trying to leave the store with a small bag in his right hand. As he passed through the point of sale checkpoint, an alarm sounded. Police said the greeter asked Lowery to provide a receipt to validate the purchase, but Lowery dismissed the employee and tried to leave the store.

Police said the victim then followed Lowery to try and get information about him and the vehicle was driving. At that point, police said Lowery began to get aggressive.

On the video footage, Lowery can be seen grabbing the employee's clipboard and -- as the victim attempted to defend himself -- began striking the 69-year-old man about the head.

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/22075465/detail.html

[Chulanowa]

1. What a piece of shit this kid is

Just... damn.

[niyad]

2. why in the HELL would anybody un'rec this?

[The Straight Story]

5. Probably the people who don't like me, they unrec almost anything I post

Such is life :)

[niyad]

10. I am just amazed at the things that are getting un'rec'd--some people have wayyyyyy too much time on

their hands.

[IndianaGreen]

11. It is actually amusing to see how many imbeciles we have in DU

that automatically unrec a thread solely based on the OP. There is a reaction to this practice in that now people are unrec threads posted by people that abuse the unrec system.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

19. How would they know who the mass unrecers are?

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. And some like me rec everything you post

It all balances out I would think. :)

[Maru Kitteh]

7. Guesses?

1. Person who thinks the elderly man deserved it for working at Wal*Mart.
2. Person who thinks the elderly man deserved it for stopping the perp with stolen goods.
3. Person who thinks there is no such thing as a criminal, just lonely people who we just haven't given enough puppies and hugs to yet.

[dhpgetsit]

12. I susprct there are bots that spider this site looking for posts

containing certain words, and unrec'ing them. That's why so many threads immediately go <0.

[bertman]

14. Did I ever tell you how much I LOVE the UNrec feature. NOT!!!

[Bolo Boffin]

34. I doubt bots can unrecommend anything - or recommend for that matter

They'd have to sign up with an account. Sounds like a lot of trouble to go to just to unrecommend topics on a single website.

[Cleita]

35. Yeah, I put up an article from MSNBC that compared the two health

plans from Congress. Just a couple of paragraphs from the article and a link to it. I got one reply and an immediate unrec. :shrug: There was nothing there that was controversial. So it has to be either very juvenile teabaggers or what you suggest.

[roguevalley]

26. but for fate that could have been my sweet little daddy, which would

mean that punk kid would never see his next birthday, the fucker.

[Orsino]

36. There were no stolen goods, according to the story. n/t

[Maru Kitteh]

3. Good! Clear your calander you cowardly piece of shit. I hope they put you away for a LONG time.

This is precisely the kind of thing prison SHOULD be for.

[niyad]

4. this piece of slime needs to go away for a looooong time out.

[LiberalFighter]

6. The kid attacks an elderly person who had question about possible shoplifting?

I'm inclined to believe the kid was shoplifting. All he had to do was produce a receipt.

Interesting that Florida has harsher penalty when committing assault on senior citizens. I wonder how many other states have that as a law?

[niyad]

9. that "kid" was 23--legally an adult, mental processes of a twit, apparently.

[Divine Discontent]

22. he had a receipt, it checked out, he was annoyed he had to show it, he ignored the greeter after

he looked at it for a couple seconds, he came back and swiped the paper away from the greeter's clipboard, he went inside to read what he wrote, and the greeter came from behind and grabbed at the paper aggressively, and that set off violence.

two hotheads imo.

[Bolo Boffin]

33. Wait, he showed the reciept?

I haven't seen the video. I understood the guy blew the greeter off completely.

[Bolo Boffin]

8. The motherfucker had a receipt!!!!

http://www.wftv.com/news/22074817/detail.html

[IndianaGreen]

13. All he had to do was show the receipt

I have been buzzed before when leaving Walmart because there was an electronic item that did not get properly cleared by the sales clerk. All one has to do is show the receipt.

No excuse in assaulting a hard working and underpaid Walmart greeter.

[Divine Discontent]

21. it appears in the video to me that he was lunged at by the greeter for taking his clipboard

which supposedly was enough of a reason for this young man to assault the older man. also the younger hothead accuses the older man of calling him a racial name, we weren't there, we can't know, but firstly, it's never okay to hit anyone in this kind of situation, and that young angry man learned not to take the older man's clipboard, and if he swung at the elderly man first, well, he'll do some time.

sad situation. I never understand why some people are so impatient, and also, why other people feel they have to take everything into their own hands. it's not a military base he was protecting, just call security on the hot head!

[WonderGrunion]

18. He didn't have time to show a receipt but had time to beat an old man?

Once he took the clipboard from the employee he was guilty of theft and battery. It doesn't matter how fascist you think electronic security is at stores, you don't beat up senior citizens over it. If you don't want to be hassled by all the security measures at WalMart, then don't shop at WalMart.

[Bolo Boffin]

32. That's what I'm saying.

It totally blows my mind that this idiot had a receipt and could have simply produced it. Instead, he has to show his ass to the point of assaulting an old man just trying to do his job.

(that said, I'm not sure how many times a greeter follows someone out of a store. I don't know Wallyworld company policy on that. But, gaddam, show a receipt when the buzzer goes off!)

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. This is taking hate for WalMart a bit too far

[Sultana]

16. ...

:(

[Divine Discontent]

20. video footage

http://www.wftv.com/news/22074817/detail.html


the greeter goes at him first from what I see, for the younger man taking his clipboard paper to see what the older man wrote on it (when he comes back in and the older man comes from behind at him), but the angry young man swings at him and that is what's gonna get him in big trouble.

violence is never the answer, and the younger man shouldn't have gotten so hot headed about the greeter. He said the greeter called him a racial name when he walked away from him, that wouldn't surprise me, but there's no proof. I know I've been totally treated with disrespect by wal mart "Greeters" (laughable, most never say hello even though I smile and say it, of course, I live in Orlando so maybe that's not the norm for you others around the country), and they have went through my bags and looked at everything on the receipt before - I didn't get angry, but I did tell the manager that it was harassment.

[IndianaGreen]

23. the video was of the second confrontation between them

according to the news report, the perp left the store and the greeter went outside to write the license plate. That's when the perp returned to the store and took the clipboard away from the greeter.

[Divine Discontent]

27. hi IG! I went and watched another clip, where he's walking out and is stopped, he showed

the receipt to the greeter, then about 2 seconds tops, he walks away and the greeter believes him to be running off, when he was just impatient. what a silly outcome. the greeter shouldn't have come from behind and grabbed and made contact with the customer, and the young man shouldn't have swung at the man which shows total lack of control, and he'll pay for this, even though he hadn't stolen a thing.

[IndianaGreen]

31. Well, if you punch someone in Indiana, it is called battery

and no one cares what led to it. According to news reports, the perp doesn't have a criminal record, and he is already out of jail. Sounds like something that may end up with probation, if it even gets that far, unless he runs across an asshole for prosecutor.

Thanks for the info!

[ProgressiveProfessor]

30. Historically, violence can be a great settler of issues, just ask the people of Carthage and Troy

The question is one of judicious use. Eliminating a rapist caught in the act is quite appropriate under many circumstances. Thumping an old man who has not physically threatened or attacked you, most likely is not. It really is a judgment call.

That said, Loss Prevention Officers are a pet peeve of mine. They are rarely trained in the limitations of their authority and assume powers they do not have. Question them and it quickly become a case of "You will respect my authority" backed up with physical threats and occasionally assault including pepper spray and tasers (depends on the state). I have several personal stories of them melting down when I denied their requests and reminded them of the limits of their authority. I have never lost such an encounter.

Since I refuse bag checks on principle and NEVER allow store personnel to search me or my possessions, I tend to be a magnet for such confrontations. I have never lost one, have accumulated a number of apology letters etc.

[Statistical]

24. He should have done what I do.... keep walking.

I pay for all my merchandise so if the door beeps it is because a cashier screwed up not me.

So I keep walking. If they have an issue they can call the Police.

What are they going to arrest me for? Paying for goods and leaving?

Sorry the state doesn't grant Walmart unlimited arrest powers and ability to conduct a search without my permission, without a warrant, and without probable cause.

[Divine Discontent]

29. spot on! just keep walking, he was right to just leave but his immaturity brought him back to try

to get the paper that had his license plate # on it. so stupid. but the elderly gentleman should not have been performing security functions after it escalated when he came back, and yet he did by making rough contact with the customer.

[SidDithers]

25. Why is a 69-year old greeter performing security functions?...nt

Sid

[Divine Discontent]

28. I said that also. he lost his temper, and makes contact with the young man when he tries recovering

the clip board paper, when the young man is trying to see what the guy wrote. I've seen this happen before, young men freak out when people write their plates down for some reason. He had a receipt he should have just ignored what the greeter was doing (let alone should have just let the elderly gentleman look at his receipt for several seconds). And the greeter should have just called security, not made contact with the customer, especially a young man who may be unstable and attack him, which he did!

[niyad]

37. does anybody here know what the evil empire's policy is for greeters and their function if there is

a suspected shoplifter?