Final Exam Part 2

Story #2: The Shoplifter

Last Saturday during Panzer's Department Store's shopping hours, a man identified as Timothy Milan died while supposedly shoplifting. He lived a 1112 Huron Avenue and worked as a chef at a local restaurant in the city.
 
A guard at the department store told police he began to chase Milan after seeing him stuff two sweaters into his pants legs, then attempt to walk past the checkout lines and out of the store.

"We saw him start running and the guard was right behind him," eye witness Sherry Carter said.

The guard then caught up with Milan, along with several bystanders, one putting him in a headlock, causing Milan's lack of oxygen and eventual death.

"The gentleman who held onto Milan was just being a good citizen," police spokesman Michael Williams said.

An autopsy determined the cause of death was indeed lack of oxygen to the brain, most likely from the headlock.

"It was a case of excusable homicide," Williams said.

The police said the bystanders had no intentions to injure or kill Milan, but that he was violently protesting his capture-- punching and kicking-- and that they were only trying to help restrain and capture a suspected criminal.

"They were fighting alright, but it looked like all four of them were pulling at him and he finally stopped moving," Carter said.

Milan may have had a reason to want to fight back so violently.

"We believe he had a run in with police in the past," Williams said.

Panzer's Department Store apologizes for the event taken place in and around their store.

"We are sorry for the death of the young man, it was never our intentions for these kinds of things to happen," Panzer's Department Store manager Paula Smith. "We are currently looking at revising our policies regarding shoplifting and how we keep these things from happening."

Police today said they don't plan to charge anyone involved with a crime, but Milan's parents plan to bring civil charges against the man who caused Milan's death.

"Our lawyers are already filing papers and we encourage the courts to revisit this ruling from a criminal perspective," Timothy Milan's father, Eric Milan, said.

Timothy's parents have expressed grief over the loss of their only child.

"My wife and I are just in ruins over this," Eric said.



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