A loss prevention associate at a Tennessee Kroger shot at a man who was trying to steal meat, according to Memphis Police Department. The shooting happened around 11:20 a.m. at the Kroger on North Germantown Parkway near the intersection of Trinity Road. A statement from Kroger said the associate asked to see a receipt from a customer who had a cart stacked with meat and seafood. Kroger said the customer told the employee the receipt was in his car. Once the pair got outside, the encounter turned violent.
The store said the suspect got in gray Chevy Malibu, hit reverse, and ran over the officer’s foot. Kroger said the officer fired a single shot into the suspect’s car’s tire to stop him, but the suspect was still able to drive away. “I feel like it’s a different way to handle it,” said frequent customer Valencia Lindsey. “Any different way. You don’t have to shoot at somebody.” Another customer saw things differently. “They have a right to protect what they own,” Rex Riggins said.
The police report indicates the parking lot incident was caught on camera. Officers found one shell casing on the scene. No one was injured. But was the struggle worth it? Opinions vary. “You don’t know, maybe the guy’s going in there maybe he’s got a gun,” Riggins said. “Everyone comes through here, they’re with their families, children, so it could’ve hit anyone,” Lindsey said. A Kroger spokesperson said the store’s policy for firing a weapon during loss prevention was allowed if the employee felt his or her life was in danger. [Source: WMCAction 5 News]