Remember the Walmart greeter that got attacked by a cop during a receipt check? Well, he’s suing for $21 million, says Chattanooga’s News Channel 9.
I spoke with Walker Monday and he tells me he has flashbacks and, since Christmas Eve, has trouble sleeping through the night.
No criminal charges have been filed.
The police officer in question has been suspended 28 days without pay for conduct unbecoming an officer, execessive use of force and improper procedure. He allegedly threw Mr. Walker into a vending machine when asked for his receipt and then tossed him through a glass door after another customer tried to intervene.
Wal-Mart Greeter Suing [Channel 9]
(Photo:genebob)
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Good for him.
I’d sue the cop’s dog too.
got attacked by government, not dead, you are in luck, come get your pay check. surely, he deserve some type of compensation, however, did he lost the ability to work? how bad was he hurt? is he disabled? my mom was disabled at her work and she only got like 30k. and she can’t work now. guess that’s the difference between private insurance company vs government.
How is the Police Dept responsible for the actions of a member, not performing his duties as a policeman.
This is some crazy stuff. I feel for the citizens of Chattanooga that will have to pay for this non-sense.
@TrueBlue63: Look up “respondeat superior” and come back.
When a police officer can go on a roid rage rampage on xmas eve…and not have any criminal charges pressed against him…then I think it’s time to litigate.
As for the amount…$21M ain’t what it used to be.
Great, this scumbag is going the old frivolous lawsuit route. This is really disgusting. If anyone should be sued it is Wal-Mart. If they didn’t have such a stupid policy, he would have gotten hurt.
I believe that I called this flurg a loser in an earlier post. Then people jumped on me. This guy is a loser. The whole just following orders thing is sick. He unlawfully got into the cop’s face and the cop took him down. I ask again: If someone stole some money from me once, do I have the right to start stopping people on the sidewalk and demanding to check their wallets for my money? I don’t think so. Unless the store has evidence (not a suspicion) that you have stolen something they have zero right to do anything about your leaving.
A police officer shoves an elderly store employee into a vending machine and through a glass door; eventually gets some time off but doesn’t get prosecuted and keeps his job??? A $21 million lawsuit sounds like a good place to start. Any less than $21mm probably wouldn’t get the attention of the brain dead officials who should have dealt with the officer and the victim properly in the first place.
Throwing an elderly person into a vending machine is potentially deadly. Tossing ANYONE through a glass door is potentially deadly.
Just to add a bit , I think the guy should be given a large settlement BUT I think in turn, the CITY should sue the police officer for his conduct and force him to pay as much as possible back.
$21 million? For what, embarrassment? I wondered if this was his game plan when I saw him on TV smiling to the reporters. I could see medical bills being paid for his “injuries” but this is just plain greed. For that kind of money the cop should have broke both legs and arms and neck.
Why is everyone complaining. This guy got assaulted at a Wal Mart. That means it’s the probably the cheapest glass door and vending machine he’ll find anywhere. Except online of course.
According to the Chatanooga (sp?) article the officer was involved in a scuffle with a lawyer in 2007. He obviously has a history of this. Even more disappointing is the fact that the Judge just let it slide while this Officer assaulted two people. Hurray for the police, I hope this man gets his money.
Once the store accepts your money for the merchandise than it transfers to your ownership. You do NOT have to stop for any receipt checkers if you choose not to.
With that being said, I would never use force unless someone actually put their hands on me. Sometimes I’ll tell them to have a good day and smile as I walk by. Just keep walking by them and they ignore you the vast majority of the time. The only exception is a place like Costco where you have basically accepted their terms when you pay for a membership. Even then they can’t touch you, but they can discontinue your membership.
Some sleaze-bag lawyer evaluated the case and multiplied the claim by a factor of 200, 300 or whatever to arrive at $21 million.
Offer 1/200th (or whatever) of the $21 million amount and this lawsuit will disappear.
The Incredible Sulk?
I understand what you’re saying, but its unfortunate that the McDonald’s coffee in the crotch lady is remembered in this category. I was a massive judgement, but not without reason. Although it’s often estimated that McDonald’s was held responsible for the plaintiff’s clumsiness, the reality is that they were punished for repeatedly serving incredibly hot (180F) coffee in spite of clear warnings that it was seriously injuring people.
The plaintiff, at the time of the suit, was asking for $20K to cover her existing $11K in medical bills. After being rebuffed by an $800 offer from McD’s, she sued for $90. McDonald’s was held to be 80% liable; the plaintiff, 20%. The massive judgement she ultimately was awarded (and saw drastically scaled back) represented the (national?) coffee sales for 1 day. A sort of punitive poetic justice.
Oops, that should be $90K.
I have some modicum of sympathy for the old guy, he was just doing his job, however if he wants to sue all that goes out the window. He should press assault charges, yes, that police officer is criminally liable for what he allegedly did. The fact that no charges were pressed makes me not give one god damn because this old guy decided ‘shit I missed a golden opportunity.’ If it wasn’t like 2 months after the fact, fine, but it’s February. Tough luck, you didn’t handle the situation.
I’m all for the suit. The only way you are going to get the police dept to insist on making sure their officers act in a reasonable manner is to hit them where it hurts the most, in the wallet.
I saw this on “yelp”. $21 million is unrealistic. The police are building up a large file for reasons, that every police force needs to be “re-built”. Police officers should be forced to go through therapy and anger/control mgt.
I really think that the cop should have had some jail time. Oh, but they wouldn’t put him in jail, now would they? He really should serve some time from this. I don’t care who he is. He is not above the law.
To all the comments of people who think he’ll actually get $21 million, you’re crazy, it won’t go to court, it will get settled, for maybe 2 million. If it does go to court I don’t see any judge granting it for $21 million. He’s aiming high so he gets high, and I can’t say I blame him, I’d sue if a dick cop did that to me.
WTB Tort Reform. Comeon. I hope the officer in this case gets sued for everything. The amount is ridiculous, but it’s just enough that–if I were this officer, and I’d been found liable–I’d go back to Walmart and literally shoot this dude in the face. Basically I’d accept a lifetime jail sentence for that. Seriously.
“DISTURBING THE PEACE?? I got thrown through a window! What’s the f-king charge for getting pushed out of a moving car, huh? JAYWALKING??”
wow,..a lot of morons out here today.
He wont get 21 mil for sure. Since the cop was on duty, the city will end up forking the bill.
jesus we have a bunch of dumb americans
So who is he suing? Walmart or the cop?
You ask for the moon, you settle for the top floor of the hotel. It’s as simple as that. No way is he expecting to get $21M. But if he asked for $25K, he’d be offered $25. Plus remember that his lawyer is going to get 40% of it after court costs…
Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
In the town I live in they recently fired several officers for offenses ranging from “posing for facebook pictures in uniform” to “drinking alcohol at a private party”… but in Chattanooga a cop can throw someone into a vending machine and then through a glass door… and they get SUSPENDED?
Ooooh.
21 million is a bit much, but it will be taken down to a level below 1 mil; the high numbers just keep the settlement amount from dropping to $10.
The officer should be fired for shopping ON-DUTY. For the love of christ can’t common sense get through their heads? They all have Bobby Hill haircuts.
For an old man of 71, I think getting shoved into a vending machine for doing his job will keep him up at night.
And why is it saying he allegedly shoved the guy? The eye witnesses and CCTV isn’t enough.
An awfully expensive penalty to pay for something we’d all like to do once in a while.