Shoplifter assaults security personnel at Wal-Mart

Shoplifter assaults security personnel at Wal-Mart

Vidor police arrested one man for strong-arm robbery on June 1 after he allegedly assaulted a security officer attempting to prevent the suspect from shoplifting at Wal-Mart. A customer of the store assisted in detaining the suspect until police arrived.

According to a report from the Vidor Police Department, officers responded to a shoplifting report at Wal-Mart on Main Street in Vidor at about 2:42 p.m. When officers arrived and spoke with a security officer at the store, they discovered that a man had attempted to leave the store with merchandise for which he had not paid. When an asset protection officer confronted the suspect, the man reportedly removed a fishing reel from the front of his pants, threw it on the floor and then shoved the security officer to the ground using both hands. A customer who witnessed the event did not stand idly by but instead grabbed the fleeing suspect and "held him in a leg lock" until police arrived. 

According to the report, when police did get there, the suspect, 36-year-old Brian Joseph Guidry, tried to walk away and would not respond to commands from officers. One officer grabbed Guidry in an attempt to detain him and both fell to the floor, where the suspect reportedly hit his head.

Acadian Ambulance responded and cleared Guidry for arrest. Officers arrested Guidry for robbery, a higher charge than shoplifting due to the suspect alleged aggressive behavior toward the Wal-Mart security officer.