WTF? Cutting In Line At Walmart Could Get You 15 Years In Prison
Posted by: Annika Harris
Filed in:
news
1:30PM, Wednesday October 21st 2009
Heather Ellis, a college honor student in Kennett, MO, is facing 15 years in prison for an incident three years ago in which she was accused of cutting in front of someone in a Walmart checkout line. Like many people have done and do, Ellis and her cousin split up to find the shortest line, and since her cousin was in the shortest line, Ellis joined him. The cashier then accused her of cutting in front of the other customers, an argument ensued, the manager and security and, eventually, police were called.
According to court documents filed by police and obtained by the local paper, Daily Dunklin Democrat, Ellis was “belligerent, angry, and hostile, cursing in an aggressive manner toward store employees.” This behavior allegedly continued after the police arrived, and Ellis refused to leave Walmart, even though police say she was given several opportunities to leave on her own free will. The affidavit says Ellis was flailing, fighting, and kicking three officers as they tried to place her in handcuffs. During the incident, she allegedly kicked one officer and struck another in the mouth. The police arrested her and transported her to the Dunklin County Jail after subduing her.
She was charged with disturbing the peace, trespassing, and two counts of assaulting a police officer. The town’s prosecutor, Stephen Sokoloff, offered Ellis a plea deal, which she refused to sign, and he filed felony charges against her. Heather could face 15 years in prison.
So far, this incident sounds like a run-of-the-mill arrest of someone who committed a crime. But several in the community aren’t buying the police’s account of the events because Kennett police allegedly have a history of misconduct against blacks. Supporters of Ellis have staged protests and rallies calling for her release. Prior to one march sponsored by the NAACP in June 2009, police found Ku Klux Klan cards scattered along the planned route. The derogatory materials were removed by the police before the march and organizers were made aware of the situation.
However, the threats from the KKK continue, and Ellis’ father believes a card, allegedly delivered by a police officer, from the Klan is part of a larger plot meant to further intimidate the family. He’s also calling for Walmart to release the surveillance video in order to clear his daughter’s name.
Your Black World Coalition, National Action Network, and Dr. Boyce Watkins, a prominent black professor at Syracuse University, have become involved in the case and have set up the website SaveHeatherEllis.com, which has garnered thousands of signatures in support of Ellis. Watkins is also calling for the investigation of Sokoloff by the Justice Department. Ellis’ trial is expected to begin Nov. 15. [The Daily Dunklin Democrat, The Root]
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*sam*
wrote on October 21 2009 @ 12:41 pm: [report]
Wow. It will be really interesting to see how this actually plays out. I’ve worked in retail (and many other customer service industries) and know what it’s like dealing with “those” customers. People really can flip out over the dumbest things. Luckily, I’ve never had to get the police involved (though I have had a few close calls). Hopefully the tapes will be revealed and a clearer picture of what actually happened will prevail.
MuchoMacho
wrote on October 21 2009 @ 12:47 pm: [report]
wondered when this would be posted on a site i cared to comment on… the title is super misleading every time i see it on another site. cutting in line at walmart can get you asked to leave walmart. resisting arrest and striking 2 cops can get you 15 years. the DA offered to drop the charge to misdemeanor disorderly conduct (extremely lax charge for this case imo) and she turned it down. then she didnt show up to court, and ignored all the summons she got. NOW shes facing 15 yrs. and she deserves it at this point. a lot of people are saying its a race issue, and maybe it is. i only judge what i read. but if i was asked to leave walmart, justly or unjustly, id just say “F YOU WALMART” and walk out. if i happened to stick around long enough for the cops to show up, i would NOT be resisting arrest or punching cops… and if i did all of that and the DA offered to drop the charges to misdemeanor DC (fine. no time. misdemeanors mean NOTHING on your record.) i would have signed off on that sweet deal on the spot, before he/she had a chance to take it back. the real story is about this spoiled girl thinking every injustice that happens in life is b/c shes a certain color, and that laws dont apply. newsflash - punch a cop - go to jail. morons.
bumbler
wrote on October 21 2009 @ 01:04 pm: [report]
Not having been there I can’t say for sure what happened. On one hand I worked in retail all through high school and I have seen many rational and intelligent people act like complete fools when they’re asked to *gasp* stand in line. On the other hand it seems like this town has severe race problems and I wouldn’t discount the possibility that the police would treat a young black teenager much differently than a middle aged white woman. Ultimately the case has to be heard in court, I would imagine there were enough witnesses of every race to provide an accurate account of what truly happened.
On a not entirely unrelated note, the standing in two lines thing only works if you’re paying for your purchases together. It’s not elementary school, no frontsies-backsies.
peacock
wrote on October 21 2009 @ 01:24 pm: [report]
There’s nothing in the story that says what the race of the cashier is. And the cashier is the one who felt like the woman had already escalated the situation far enough to warrant the call to the cops. How about people just stop putting themselves in stupid situations (throwing fits about a line in the Wal-Mart) in the first place?
Squidtermz
wrote on October 21 2009 @ 02:09 pm: [report]
Still 15 years? You could steal a shotgun from WALMART and get less than that. People are too high and mighty these days. And corporations are even worse. What WALMART does to small business is a real crime worthy of some serious penalties. But cutting in line for the trash they sell is just sad. And if she did assault a cop, it’s the cops fault for taking anything a flunky, junky WALMART employee says seriously…. I mean, seriously?!?!?!?
MuchoMacho
wrote on October 21 2009 @ 02:13 pm: [report]
so you never had a part time job when you were younger? and when you did have that part time job, you were a flunky junky? how sad for you. im sure cops made their own assesment once they arrived. the fact that she kicked and punched them makes me side with everyone else. shes a moron.
MuchoMacho
wrote on October 21 2009 @ 02:16 pm: [report]
laughing especially hard at “if she did assault a cop, it’s the cops fault…”
men who abuse women are never to blame, and people who punch cops arent either… how is living in never never land working out for you?
Pinky
wrote on October 21 2009 @ 02:28 pm: [report]
Frankly the prep is threat to society. If she will lose all control over a place in line and assault and disrepect police officers over this, what will she do in traffic if she doesn’t get her way ? Or if another parent has a problem with her bratty kid…We have all seen this “attitude” by lowlifes, they like to intimidate folks and love it when they think folks are afraid of them so they can get away with whatever they want…and when they don’t and someone stands up to them-they scream racists !
I worked retail for 10 years when I was younger and have been cussed out and one time a guy actually picked up a stapler and threatened to throw it at me if I did not wait on him immediatley, he didn’t like that I was off duty and closing my cash drawer.
blackbettie
wrote on October 21 2009 @ 03:42 pm: [report]
well,thats the caliber of people that shop at walmart!
*i* go to target!
Oreo
wrote on October 21 2009 @ 09:12 pm: [report]
The headline is a little misleading. The line cut may have been the catalyst for a confrontation, but it is in no way the crime that she’s being charged with.
The fifteen years she is facing is a result of two counts of assaulting a police officer. She refused a plea deal and has tried to play the race card, so they’re throwing the book at her.
Should I feel sorry for an “honor student” who created a massive scene in a store and became verbally abusive to everyone in earshot and then attacked a police officer because someone had the audacity to say that she had to wait in line like everybody else? Absolutely not. Let her face the music.
davvik
wrote on October 21 2009 @ 09:25 pm: [report]
Easy way to see if the cops accounts where correct, its called a security camera.
qnzmami718
wrote on October 22 2009 @ 09:59 am: [report]
wtf i would have freaked the f*ck out too! they called the cops cuz she supposedly cut in line.. are u f*cking serious!? or cuz she cussed at employees!? wtf happened to freedom of speech!? i would have punched a PIG or 2 too! i f*cking hate cops! theyre good for nothing except to intimidate u and turn on u wen u really need them!
MuchoMacho
wrote on October 22 2009 @ 10:01 am: [report]
freedom of speech is not freedom to act like an #&@$%. and you sure talk tough on the internet. last i heard, they dont have internet in prison, so im guessing you would never actually punch a cop… since you havent yet.
*sam*
wrote on October 22 2009 @ 10:07 am: [report]
@qnzmami718: ah, your apparent grasp of the written language only goes to show your even greater grasp of human relations. ‘tis people, nay, martyrs like you that serve but one purpose: to remind others why education, tolerance, and a base sense of good manners need not be demonstrated or taught.
equnsuocha
wrote on October 22 2009 @ 10:26 am: [report]
This whole situation could be handled swiftly if the Wal would just give up the tape of the incident. If she hit a cop she deserves what she gets, REGARDLESS of whether or not she felt she was being mistreated because of her race. Here is the thing, even if a cop is wrong, 95% of the time he is right, so why make it worse by hitting him? I think we all need to stop and take a look at the greatest website of all time to help clarify some of the issues in this case.
http://www.peopleofwalmart.com
Enjoy my fellow Friskians!
spatula
wrote on October 22 2009 @ 01:49 pm: [report]
@sam: LOL. Literally.
I agree that this title is ridiculously misleading. Assaulting a police officer can get you 15 years, as it well should.
spatula
wrote on October 22 2009 @ 01:52 pm: [report]
wait…why WON"T they release the tapes?
MuchoMacho
wrote on October 22 2009 @ 01:56 pm: [report]
spat - if i had to guess, its probably b/c theyre not allowed to release videotape thats being used in an on-goign investigation… just an educated guess though. or maybe there isnt tape.
equnsuocha
wrote on October 22 2009 @ 02:06 pm: [report]
There would have to be a tape but I am sure corporate policy is that they do not release tapes with out a subpeona and that may or may not have been sent to them yet. I am sure they are looking at the tape to make sure there isnt anything that they, meaning Wal-Mart, could be liable for in the inevitable civil trial which is what 90% of these so called racism super cases turn out to be about.
*Climbs onto soap box*
I am as liberal about race as it gets and I think that people of color who exaggerate a situation in order to garner national attention in the hopes of winning a large settlement are the single largest racists in the country that do NOTHING to help other people of color who may truly be, being repressed or treated unfairly. Dr King didnt sue or punch cops nor did he have a sense of entitlement, he simply resisted peacefully and stood for what is right. Seeing $$$$ because you were hassled at the Wal and happened to have landed on the black, hispanic, etc portion of the race wheel makes you a hypocrit and despicable. Read : Al Sharpton
*I will now get off my soapbox*
MuchoMacho
wrote on October 22 2009 @ 02:35 pm: [report]
golf clap
AlisonNoelle
wrote on October 22 2009 @ 03:38 pm: [report]
Well said equnsuocha.
Rhena
wrote on October 23 2009 @ 04:04 pm: [report]
I so agree equnsuocha! 15 years for hitting, not one, but two cops, is the same thing you would get if you were any color. There are way too many people being mistreated in the world for any number of reasons than to make a federal case out of being too stupid to leave WalMart when you are asked to leave. And it has nothing to do with race.
Jeenia2009
wrote on November 12 2009 @ 09:07 pm: [report]
Walmart is refusing to release the surveillance video of the alleged incident something smells fishy to me.