Chinese Police Say Walmart Shopper Beaten To Death After Botched Receipt Check
Chinese state media says that a woman accused of shoplifting was allegedly beaten to death by 2 employees of a Walmart in eastern China. A police report says that the employees stopped the woman on the street near her home (which is also near the Walmart) and demanded to see her receipt. One report says she refused because she was unsure of the employee's identities, another says she handed it over, then took it back.
An argument ensued, after which the employees attacked and began beating the woman. She later died from her injuries.
From the AFP:
They started to hit her because she didn't do what they said," the paper quoted her husband Chen Baolin as saying.
"I got there and tried to stop them but they kept beating her."
Walmart confirmed that the attackers were Walmart security associates and offered their condolences. They say they are cooperating with "the relevant authorities."
2 China Wal-Mart workers arrested after death [Yahoo!]
Woman beaten to death at China Wal-Mart: police [Google] (Thanks, G!)
(Photo:largeheartedboy)
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Comments:
Coming soon to a Wal-Mart near you: capital punishment for refusing to show your receipt.
hell, the chinese gov't probably figures the security guards did them a favor, saved 'em the time to go through the whole troublesome production of a state-funded execution...
Walmart's slogan in China: "Save Money. Die Quickly."
WOW! Apparently her Kung-Fu was strong. They need 5 people to beat to death one innocent woman.
Shameful!
This is less Walmart alone than it is inane Walmart policies clashing with Chinese repressive culture. A woman refused to do something male authority figures told her she had to do in communist China. It is a serious overreaction on the part of the employees. Walmart is definitely at least partially at fault here and I hope they finally step up for this woman's family and do the right thing.
I have not shown my receipt in years. I wonder when the Wal-Mart Gestapo will be showing up at my door.
If someone hadn't died and had only been injured, I would surely make a joke about this. Wow. Just...wow.
Wow, how does something like this even happen?
@AshCatScram: What does any of this have to do with China being a repressive culture and communism? In China, they beat anyone who is accused of stealing. I think most developing countries would do the same thing, and some developed countries will do so too. It's not because she's a woman or because China is communist. Are you one of those people? "China is bad, China is bad! No human rights!"?
Look people this is China, stuff like this happens all the time there. Remember there are frequent secret police abductions of dissidents who are never seen again. I hardly think you can blame Wal-Mart for the actions of crazy people.
@thisheregirafFe: Actually there is no such thing as state funded executions in China. China is famous for sending bills to the next of kin when they execute someone. Even for the bullets.
I saw a Walmart when I was in China, and I wanted to go inside to see what it was like, but we didn't have time. Now I'm kind of glad I didn't go in!
Does anyone else here not see the answer? In America, we have people beating the receipt checkers, and in China, they have the receipt checkers beating people. I smell a foreign employee exchange program coming that can only be full of win, slow-motion, and random doves flying. Please Wal-Mart, make sure there are tapes in the VCR's, so we can laugh.
@Super Moose: Yeah, this happens all the time. No need to be concerned about someone being murdered. I mean, come on.
(You are an ass.)
You know, I read this and was going to say something like "In before all the thinly-veiled racism" and then I scrolled down...
To those who will no doubt claim that WalMart is at least partially responsible here: Remember, this is China, not the US. It's legal system is different and they have an entirely different take on the human rights, legal rights and life in general. Good or bad, it's not the US. The fact WalMart may have been responsible had this happened in the US doesn't mean that they will have any legal responsibility in China.
@bananaballs: Wal-Mart is responsible if it is their policy to follow potential shop-lifters into the street and assault them.
Walmart is rarely so final when dealing with shoplifters.
I see kung-fu movie coming out of this somehow. Legend of the Hidden Receipt Checker. Fists of Receipt Checking Fury. Master of Death by 1,000 Paper Cuts. I could go on forever.
@bananaballs: in China they really don't take theft very well. it's pretty common that you see someone beaten senselessly over there for trying to steal something. i saw footage of a guy who tried stealing something from a construction site and they beat the guy with pipes relentlessly
@johnfrombrooklyn: How dare you make people try to care about a story that isn't from America. Unless it's something big like a tsunami or an earthquake, count me out.
@squinko: I doubt you care at all about people you don't know being killed; nobody does unless they are in a place where they can display a false sense of caring so as to make themselves look better. Yes you put up fake facades in anonymous public places (the internet) to give yourself a false sense of self worth.
If you wan't to show you really care how about just putting down the cellphone while driving, or cutting back on the things you do everyday the endanger the lives of others.
@johnfrombrooklyn: I think you mean: Wh s ths n Cnsmrst?
And the answer is: there are frequent articles on Consumerist about receipt-checking and the inherent legal issues. This is a related news story that many readers (myself included) find interesting. If you don't, then don't read it! There's this guy named Perez Hilton whose writing may better cover your need to be entertained by everything, all the time.
Thanks, Consumerist, I haven't even really started my work-week and I'm already nauseated to the point of wanting to vomit up my breakfast.
I effing hate China. I can't believe I live in a world where this sort of shit can even happen.
@johnfrombrooklyn: Well I for one care. Not that I shop at Walmart but if I did I would certainly stop after finding that they support their employees in bludgeoning a customer to death.
@B1663R: Executed? You're dreaming. They didn't even bother executing the people who tainted milk powder the FIRST time, just a few years in prison. The SECOND time they didn't execute anyone either. That health official they did execute was already on the ropes for accepting 'corruption money' of $10,000 USD, and didn't have anything to do with the existing milk powder scandal. They just trumped him up as a patsy.
@squinko:
Gee aren't you the pulse of morality around here. I'm sure you really care about some women in China.
I foresee these employees getting off lightly. Wal-Mart is probably the single largest force sending American factory work to China. They probably have a lot of pull there. Then again, Wal-Mart (in recent years)has not shown much care for the welfare of its employees.
China will be able to take over the U.S. without ever firing a shot, because they are going to own us. Wal-Mart is complicit in helping them.
For those not versed in how the Chinese media works let's substitute 'state speak' with the most probably reality.
'security associates' == triads working at Walmart
'fell to the ground' == beaten senseless
'an incident occurred' == the walmart employees were trying to blackmail/steal/rape a customer
Since the police were called, which by itself is a god damned miracle, and are actually involved, which is another miracle here is what the outcome will be.
- Shoplifter stole a small fortune worth of items, was politely and courteously confronted by staff, shoplifter became violent and attacked the staff, shoplifter 'fell down' and those injuries caused her death. Walmart and their staff acted appropriately and were in no way involved in the death of this person.
It is unlikely this person is 'just' a shoplifter since the police never bother getting actually involved in stuff this trivial even if people die. They only get involved to cover something up. It's probably some triad thing going on.
@satoru: Yes, but those people were important, high-ranking business people. This is just a couple of "disposable" Walmart workers. People are executed in China for much less.
@AshCatScram: Wal-Mart is partially responsible for any illegal activity engaged in by anyone in their employ. This makes sense to you?
@I_have_something_to_say: It could just be that I don't see anything funny in a post making light of a situation in which someone was beaten to death.
Either way, it wasn't funny.
@Super Moose: "If you wan't to show you really care how about just putting down the cellphone while driving, or cutting back on the things you do everyday the endanger the lives of others."
What does any of that have to do with this topic?
Well,i sure care what's going on ina nad around wal-marts and their receipt checkers--even in China.
@satoru:
I'm just waiting for the PC police to chime in about how you're spreading lies about China and are etnocentric. (Meanwhile, 90% of those posters will have never actually been to China.)
Wow. I wonder what they do at the return desk?
@squinko: But all Asians practice martial arts!!!!!1!!!11
so it's super-LULZ!
..god, tubes-speak makes my brain hurt.
How does it even get to that point? These people are murderers, and should be tried as such. Walmart is responsible, too. Good grief.