Civil rights attorney Leo Terrell said Tuesday that two convenience store clerks in Stockton, California, should not face charges after they beat a would-be thief.
Stockton police announced Saturday in a Facebook post they were investigating the July beating that was caught on tape and which went viral as the clerks hit the suspected thief with a stick. Shoplifting cost retailers over $94 billion in 2021, according to the National Retail Federation. (RELATED: ‘Hard To Find People To Work At Night’: Business Owner Outlines Effects Of Crime Spike)
WATCH:
“This district attorney should have that criminal in jail right now because he did it not just once, but twice,” Terrell told Fox News host Martha MacCallum. “So what happened is if there’s any focus on these shop owners who are trying to protect their property, no way. They should not be charged with any criminal crime. If there is a civil suit, that criminal will have zero chance of prevailing.”
“7-Eleven should back up these shop owners,” Terrell continued. “I tell you right now, the lack of any type of police response, lack of any type of government response to crime is resulting in vigilantism and this is what’s happening right now, because people are tired of being attacked.”
Employees at a Lululemon store who caught a robbery on tape earlier this year were fired for violating company policy, which requires employees not to intervene in such cases, the company’s CEO said in a June CNBC interview.
“I think what… the owners were trying to do was try to deter him from coming back. The question is, was the force reasonable? Was it a crime for them to inflict this amount of force? That’s a fact question, that’s a jury question,” Terrell said. “But I want to make sure this is clear: As a civil rights attorney, this district attorney who had to review this case after it’s turned over by the police should not file charges against the shop owners. It sends the wrong message.”
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.