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Local Topic 2 women say Pearland Walmart racially-profiled them

Local Topic 2 women say Pearland Walmart racially-profiled them

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by: Knk Active Indicator LED Icon 5 OP 
~ 4 years ago   Feb 29, '20 2:37pm  
2 women say Pearland Walmart racially-profiled them
 
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PEARLAND, Texas (KTRK) -- Two African American women are asking Walmart to provide additional training to their employees after they were put in handcuffs as they tried to leave the store in November.
 
Samantha Sharpe and her aunt, Cleatris Johnson, said they were stopped by a Walmart employee in Pearland as they headed for the exit with their bags. The employee reportedly asked to see their receipt.
 
"Ms. Johnson complied and started getting out her receipt," civil rights lawyer, Randall Kallinen, said. "She did ask, 'I noticed that you didn't stop those individuals.'"
 
The women said the employee pulled out a radio and called for someone else. A plainclothes loss prevention officer showed up moments later.
 
"We were tussling and she was trying to snatch my bag out of my hand," Sharpe said. "I was saying, 'Hey, don't touch my bag. Don't touch me,' and we were physically tussling in the store and then all the contents fell out on the ground."
 
The police were called and placed the women in handcuffs.
 
Once the officer reviewed the surveillance video and matched the items on the receipt to the items the women had, the women were released.
 
"To have handcuffs on and to have customers walking in and out of the store taking pictures of you on their cell phone, that is really low and embarrassing and I don't think you can get any lower than that," Sharpe said.
 
The women are not seeking money from the retailer. They said they want Walmart to provide sensitivity training to their employees.
 
In a statement, Walmart said:
"We don't tolerate discrimination of any kind and want all of our customers to have a pleasant shopping experience. We take allegations like this seriously and are doing a thorough review of what happened here and if appropriate, will take disciplinary action."
 
abc13.com/5974563/?e x_cid=TA_KTRK_TW&tai d=5e5ab01cfc49cc0001 176a4d&utm_camp
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squidgirl Active Indicator LED Icon 6
~ 4 years ago   Feb 29, '20 2:48pm  
I have lots of respect for them for not trying to get money out of this. I hope they are taken seriously by Walmart.
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DrewLundgren Active Indicator LED Icon 5
~ 4 years ago   Feb 29, '20 4:24pm  
@squidgirl : And if Walmart does what they said they'd do, I would compliment them as well. I wish we could know the outcome.
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Blackbird Active Indicator LED Icon 4
~ 4 years ago   Feb 29, '20 6:57pm  
I believe this whole heartedly. I shop at a few different Walmart's, and I'm never stopped or asked to show my receipt. I just sail past all the door guarders with no issues. I've actually had more problems getting in, with a return, the leaving with a basket full of stuff.
 
That said, I'd never get into a tussle on the ground with the bag ripped out of my hand.
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Stealth83 Active Indicator LED Icon 8
~ 4 years ago   Feb 29, '20 7:00pm  
Removed By Request
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Blackbird Active Indicator LED Icon 4
~ 4 years ago   Feb 29, '20 7:02pm  
I used to shop at the location across from Meyerland, but didn't really feel safe. Now I go to the one in Stafford mostly, much cleaner and nicer employees. Even so, it amazes me they just assume I'm not shoplifting.
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Inb0913 Active Indicator LED Icon 6
~ 4 years ago   Feb 29, '20 8:34pm  
@Knk : Sorry they feel that way. My husband shops at Walmart often . He is a 6'3 Caucasian guy he get stop almost every time @ the door He doesn't make a deal out of this nor gets a lawyer or go to the media he shows the receipt, they count the items and he goes on his way. He doesn't think that he is racially profiled. The employees are doing their job. Just saying...........,.
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Mars00 Active Indicator LED Icon 5
~ 4 years ago   Feb 29, '20 11:32pm  
@Knk : This is one of those exceptional case where the customer purchased these items and had the receipt. Majority of times I have have noticed that media is portraying the story of thefts committed by a certain group of individuals. You can also see the police reports and investigations.
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Blackbird Active Indicator LED Icon 4
~ 4 years ago   Mar 1, '20 2:26am  
Majority of the time, the customer purchased the items and got a receipt literally mins before. How this escalated into a knock out and drag out fight is beyond me. How customers were handcuffed when they had valid receipts is also disturbing.
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susieq Active Indicator LED Icon 6
~ 4 years ago   Mar 1, '20 12:02pm  
I just keep my receipt in my hand and offer it to the door checker. Sometimes they take it, sometimes not. I did have a major hassle trying to return an item I had not been charged for to Costco one day. It was a bottle of vanilla extract, over$30, and I was not charged for it. I took it back, explained what had happened to the person at the door, and was directed to the returns desk. That is when things went crazy. Told the people behind the desk, they couldn't believe I brought it back, and asked what I wanted to do. "Pay for it," seemed logical to me. Nope, could not do that. Okaaay, I would just give it back, leave, and buy it next time. Nope, couldn't do that either. There was paper work, a whole stack of paper work. I thought about doing what they wanted, I really did, but I had food melting in the car, and there were several pages. "Look, this is yours, not mine. I do not want it, will not take it, and will not fill out your paperwork. YOU figure out how to do this." Left it on the counter and walked out.
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Inb0913 Active Indicator LED Icon 6
~ 4 years ago   Mar 1, '20 12:28pm  
@susieq : Unbelievable! Wow can't imagine what you went through for being so honest
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Blackbird Active Indicator LED Icon 4
~ 4 years ago   Mar 1, '20 5:23pm  
I found a bag left in a shopping cart at a grocery store once. It was full of dozens of cat food. I tried to give it back to the store and they wouldn't take it. I happen to know a woman who works in a shelter, I took it to her.
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MrH Active Indicator LED Icon
~ 4 years ago   Mar 2, '20 11:33am  
-- Removed by Author --
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MrH Active Indicator LED Icon
~ 4 years ago   Mar 2, '20 11:33am  
@Knk : If they would have complied and showed their receipts and didn't come strong and start saying I am being racially profiled and don't touch my bag don't touch me everything would have been fine
But when someone resist it raises suspicion
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Dorothy Active Indicator LED Icon 8
~ 4 years ago   Mar 2, '20 11:39am  
From the first post, "Ms. Johnson complied and started getting out her receipt," civil rights lawyer, Randall Kallinen, said. "She did ask, 'I noticed that you didn't stop those individuals.'"
 
So she was complying, she didn't actually resist until the employee started to grab her bag.
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emsee1129 Active Indicator LED Icon
~ 4 years ago   Mar 2, '20 11:47pm  
this is unfortunate
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