Walmart Parking Lot

Miscellaneous
1

I occasionally seek additional information regarding viral videos by searching for key words on the internet. While viewing such a video this morning, I highlighted the words “Walmart Parking Lot” and searched for “news”. I was mildly surprised by the search results.

Here’s the rather shocking video I was watching:

Here are some of the search results from the last two weeks:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/road-rage-in-walmart-parking-lot-lands-man-in-jail/ar-BB10ctOi

That’s just a few recent news stories. There are many more. I admit that I shop at Walmart, but I never realized just how dangerous a trip to the grocery store might be. What do you folks think?

2

Walmart gets higher % of shady customers than other stores, for sure.

3

WalMart has been a :poop:-hole for weirdos for a long time. :roll_eyes:
Talk about losing control of a situation, crazy stuff.
For those who haven’t seen this, at 2.44 one of the officers was forced to shoot on of them in the top of the head, he had his partner down and was trying to take his pistol, the downed officer was already shot in the thigh fighting for the gun. :slightly_frowning_face:
4

At my local Walmart, I have seen several people sporting teardrop tattoos under their eyes and been approached by a number of people pushing an empty cart around the parking lot asking for handouts. Some of the handout ones look like they could be a serious physical threat if you pissed them off.

5

I think we’re wise to arm ourselves against the craziness all around us; you never know when or where it may come calling

6

When Wal-Mart moves in, so does the crime. That has been shown over and over. It just attracts the sorts of people that way, and it does attract a LOT of people (marks).

I personally shop anywhere else except WM. I do not miss going there at all. Been clean now 6 years. :smiley:

7

“Vehicle surrounded by aggressive mob”, in general, seems like a lose-lose situation to me. The longer you remain in place and engage verbally with them, the higher the chance you will be dragged out of the car. (The thing on video seems like a lame carjacking attempt)
If you try to get away more aggressively and push/hit/run over them with the car, you are facing a charge of assault with deadly weapon, now you are going to be victimized by the state. Crooks know the dilemma, and they count on people to be more fearful of the law, than of the criminal.

8

My first question is why weren’t the doors locked?

9

The lady looked like a Meth or Crack head. She was on a bicycle, why would anyone believe a word she said, it’s crazy how far down these people have allowed themselves to go. This video was very scary for this innocent family. I cannot believe how far the crazy people on the outside were willing to go to help an obviously messed up nutty woman like that.

10

I think they are working together, probably not the 1st victim either.

11

If there is 1 there are 2 if there are 2 there are 4. Nancy and I train for this, if I have to engage someone she will scan for more threats and vice versa.

13

For all of the reasons mentioned in this thread, both my wife and myself quit going to Walmart many years ago.

On our last visit many years ago, I was recovering from cancer treatments and not feeling well, so I dropped her off at the entrance, then parked to wait for her. We had already agreed that she would not walk through the lot, but would call me when she was finished shopping and I would pick her up.

As I was sitting there watching people walk by, I noticed a guy that had all indications of being a down and out obvious crackhead (sorry, there’s still a lot of cop in me) going down the row in front of me, looking in every vehicle’s windows and pulling on door handles. I called the local police department’s non-emergency number and reported him to the dispatcher, giving her his clothing description and approx location in the parking lot.

The parking rows were head in parking and he was walking down the row in between both sides so he could go back and forth, checking two cars at a time. In short order, he finished the row over, then started down the row I was parked in. When he checked the vehicle in front of me, he turned to come towards my car. As he crossed the front end to come to my driver’s door, I honked the horn for several seconds. He was so spaced out, it never even phased him, and I doubt he even noticed me sitting there on the driver’s side with a 1911 in my hand when he pulled on my door handle. The window was up and the door was locked, so he simply turned and went to the next vehicle in line.

Shortly after that, my wife called to let me know she was finished shopping and waiting inside the exit doors. By the time I picked her up and we left the lot, the PD had still not responded.

There are two Walmart stores in our city, this particular one was only a year old and in just that short amount of time it had already been transformed from a pristine new location to looking like it was in a third world country.

With good situational awareness being an effective element of concealed carry, we just decided that like most potential trouble spots to naturally avoid, Walmart was one of those places. That was years ago and we’ve never missed it.

15

@P365, in the other thread, the person shot and killed someone for shining a flashlight at them in their car. That person stayed and waiting in his car for the flashlight holder to get to his car and then he killed him.

I would not have advocated waiting around like @Dave27 did, however, he also was a trained police officer. He didn’t shoot the guy for trying to break into his car.

There are huge differences and huge similarities between these two situations. @Dave27’s wife was in the store, so he wasn’t going to leave her behind undefended. He was a former police officer and he didn’t shoot the guy. If @Dave27 would have shot, he very well would have gotten the same questioning about laying in wait for someone.

The whole point of self-defense is getting home to your family safe. And @Dave27 did that without having to shoot.

16

Well, I guess that criticism is something that is almost guaranteed in today’s internet age where face to face conversations don’t happen all that often.

One thing I have learned over the years is not to second guess myself. As a retired Police Officer and Vietnam Veteran, I have developed instincts throughout my life that have served me well.

My 1911 was in my hand, by my side at the ready… not visible to him. At that moment, there was no perceived threat to life, so no legal reason to use a weapon… but also knowing how fast situations can change, it is always smart to be prepared.

Besides, we can all learn something from constructive criticism, at least I hope I still can.

Sadly, no on the video, our old flip type cell phones at the time were not video capable. :woozy_face:

17

Walmart story that happened to a friend not too long ago…

He often works 12+ hours and was picking up some underwear at WalMart later at night. Police followed his car out of the parking lot. When they turned their cherries on he pulled over. They ripped him out of his car, held him on the ground with guns drawn (multiple cruisers). They said he stole his car. He had his license, registration, and insurance out… and he owned the car for about 15 years and it looked it.

He called his lawyer, about the incident and the lawyer found that every officer’s body cam footage had mysteriously been erased.

19

Beats me… is that common practice to erase body cams from multiple police during a stop? I would think if he got on the wrong side of someone they would want it on video.

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