The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
The incident unfolded on December 15, after store employees at a Walmart in Canton reported two individuals suspected of stealing merchandise. Police responded and detained both suspects inside a store security office while the situation was sorted out. During the initial interaction, one of the suspects was patted down by an officer and asked whether he was carrying any weapons. He reportedly said he was not.
While both suspects were in the security room, the situation reportedly took a dangerous turn. According to investigators and body-worn camera footage later released, the male suspect, age 21, reached into a bag when no one was paying attention and retrieved a handgun. He allegedly aimed the weapon directly at the officer’s head and attempted to fire. The gun did not discharge due to a malfunction.
It was reported that a loss prevention employee spotted the movement and shouted a warning before lunging toward the suspect and grabbing the firearm while struggling to keep it from being used. Within seconds, the officer tackled the suspect and took away the gun.
Police say the suspect attempted to pull the trigger more than once during the confrontation. A subsequent search reportedly uncovered that the man was holding a large amount of pills suspected to be MDMA (ecstasy).
Both suspects were taken into custody and booked into the Stark County Jail. The man is facing multiple preliminary charges, including attempted murder, felonious assault on an officer, robbery, and aggravated possession of drugs. At the time this was written, he was being held on a $1 million bond. The woman, who is facing preliminary charges of complicity to commit robbery, is being held in lieu of a $500,000 bond.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a criminal offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.