Surveillance video obtained by KIRO 7 shows a 41-year-old man going on a wild 15-minute destructive shoplifting spree where he terrorized both Target workers and customers, and he returned to steal from the store twice more over the next three days before he was arrested by Seattle police. According to King County Court documents, Jason L. Lewis entered the downtown store on Aug. 17. He confronted workers, head-butted a Target sales associate, destroyed displays, tried to kick open a locked display containing Apple iPads, and threw the heavy display down a store escalator while customers scrambled to get out of the way. According to court documents, Target employees were told to get out of Lewis’ way for their own safety, leaving him alone behind a store counter.
Surveillance shows Lewis using one display as a weapon, swinging it like a sledgehammer trying to break a secure case loaded with Ipad and Apple watches. When that didn’t work, Lewis repeatedly kicked the case. Desperate to break it open, Lewis destroyed a video monitor and flipped the display case it onto the Target floor and shoved it down the aisles of the store. At one point, Lewis is seen shoving the heavy Apple display down an escalator, while people were riding on it. Court documents say Lewis loaded every iPad and Apple watch from the case into his duffel bag, which police say he stole the same day from the Columbia store down the street, along with the clothes he was wearing.
Surveillance shows Lewis carrying heavy duffel bags loaded with stolen merchandise. He was confronted by a Target loss prevention manager at the door in an effort to stop him, but Lewis was able to leave the store with the bags. According to Seattle police documents, Lewis was arrested later the same day for car prowling in West Seattle. KIRO 7 learned Lewis was released from the King County Jail on August 19. Lewis is also accused of threatening to kill employees at Belltown Storage, claiming he was “the truth,” and entered the downtown Target store twice more to steal items before Seattle police chased Lewis down and arrested him a second time, on August 21. Court documents indicate that Lewis has a long criminal history, which includes threats of terrorism, and assault with a deadly weapon convictions in Texas.  [Source: KIRO7 News]