Suspected Hat Stealer Drops Dead In Macy's

Last Thursday, a 400-pound man in his early thirties was confronted at a Macy’s in Oakland, California, and accused of shoplifting a hat from the men’s department. According to CBS News in San Francisco, “Security officers at the mall then attempted to arrest and detain Gomes, who allegedly resisted and assaulted security personnel, according to police.” The police were called, but on their way to the mall they received a follow-up report that the man had become unresponsive. He died later that evening at a hospital.

Our question: can security personnel really arrest suspected shoplifters?

Go easy on the fat insults, y’all. The guy’s dead.

“Dead shoplifter identified” [MercuryNews]
“Coroner ID’s Suspect Who Collapsed At E. Bay Mall” [CBS5.com]
(Photo: Gato Azul)

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