Police took two shoplifting suspects, Shane Newman and Katerina Jeffrey, into an office at a Walmart store in Canton for questioning before a dramatic confrontation unfolded that was captured on body camera footage.
The incident occurred on Thursday, December 18, after the pair were detained on suspicion of shoplifting. According to reports cited by FOX 8, the suspects were escorted to a store security room where a police officer began questioning and searching Newman, 21.
Video from the officer’s body camera, which had been placed on a table, initially showed a calm scene. A Walmart employee handed the officer a pen and paper as the two suspects sat on a bench. Moments later, the situation escalated rapidly.
Newman suddenly turned, pulled out a firearm, and allegedly attempted to shoot the officer at point-blank range. A clicking sound was heard as he appeared to pull the trigger, while the woman shouted, “No, no, no!”
A Walmart security employee immediately lunged at Newman in an attempt to restrain him. Newman raised the gun again and appeared to pull the trigger a second time, producing another audible click. The security worker then knocked the gun from Newman’s hands as the officer drew his own weapon and shouted, “Get back! Get back!”
The officer and the security employee restrained Newman on the floor until additional officers arrived. Both suspects were taken into custody.
In the bodycam footage, the officer told responding colleagues that Newman had “pulled the gun out, pointed it at my head and pulled the trigger,” but the weapon did not discharge. The officer added that he would have fired his own weapon but feared hitting the Walmart employee during the struggle. He also acknowledged that he had missed the gun concealed in Newman’s shoulder bag during the initial search.
The officer said he had been alerted just seconds before the attack that Newman had an active warrant and was considered “armed and dangerous.”
According to court records, Newman has been charged with attempted murd3r and felonious assault on a police officer. Jeffrey was charged with complicity to commit robbery and having weapons under disability for possession of ammunition.
Before the confrontation, the officer asked Newman if he had anything on him. Newman reportedly said he only had a cellphone and voluntarily handed over a small container from his pocket, which investigators later said contained illegal drugs.
Watch the video below…………………………………………..
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