CANTON, Ohio (WJW) – A man suspected of shoplifting from a Walmart in Ohio pulled a gun and attempted to shoot an officer in the store’s loss prevention office, video released by the local police appears to show.
The incident took place during the arrest of two shoplifting suspects at a Walmart in Canton, Ohio, on Thursday afternoon.
Police said one of the suspects, 21-year-old Shane Newman, had earlier attempted to leave the store with items that he and his suspected accomplice did not pay for. A responding officer later brought them into the store’s loss prevention office.
In body-camera footage, the officer asks Newman if he has anything dangerous on his person, to which Newman said he did not. He then voluntarily handed over a container of illegal drugs, investigators said.
A short time later, the officer asked a dispatcher to run the two suspects’ Social Security numbers.
Newman then turns his back to the camera and appears to pull a gun from a bag around his shoulder. He attempted to fire the weapon, but it did not go off.
The video shows a Walmart security employee pouncing on Newman and trying to disarm the suspect before an officer subdues him.
The officer later told police supervisors that just seconds before Newman pulled the gun, he was alerted that Newman had an active warrant for his arrest and was classified as “armed and dangerous.”
“This incident is a reminder of the ever-present threat of violence against police officers and the gracious provision of God’s protection,” Canton Chief of Police John Gabbard said of the incident. “Thank you to all of you who regularly pray with me, for our officers and our community.”
Newman was charged with the following, according to police:
- Attempt to Commit Murder (F1)
- Felonious Assault on Peace Officer (F1)
- Robbery (F2)
- Agg. Possession of Drugs (F2)
- Weapons Under Disability (F3)
His suspected accomplice was charged with Complicity to Commit Robbery.
At his arraignment in Canton Municipal Court Friday morning, Newman was given a $1 million bond, according to court documents.
When asked for comment, Walmart offered the following statement to Nexstar’s WJW.
“The safety and security of our customers and associates is always a top priority,” Jessie Carpenter, Walmart’s asset protection operations coach, said. “We’re proud of the brave action our asset protection associate took to maintain the safety of everyone in our store. We’ll continue to work with police as they investigate.”