Accused at QuickTrip for stealing

[The Last Bard]

I was having a great day, right? Well, me and my bros. had been working on fixing up a rental house most of the day, and we got kind of tired and decided to go to the gas station and buy some candy.
So we get there and my bro decides to use the bathroom while he's there. So me and my bro (Younger) are just standing there waiting for him to get out, and we notice employes are starting to talk and look at us. We were just standing there!
So this big tall black guy comes over and asks if we are stealing candy in our pockets. We were really suprised and said 'no'.
So he goes back and told this girl who had started the whole thing, and she asks if the cops are still in the store. He said yes, and she actually told the cops we were lifting merchandise!
Well, this cop takes us in the back and this is how the whole conversation went:

Cop: Come on, you need to put the **** back
Us: What are you talking about? We didn't take anything.
Cop: I'm serious, put the **** back
Us: We didn't take anything. (We show him our coat pockets)
Cop: Look, you can either put back what you took or make me cuff your ***'s and report this!
Us: We are serious officer, we DIDN'T take anything. We are just waiting for our brother to get out of the bathroom so we can buy some stuff. He has the money.
Cop: Tell your friend just what I told you (Walks off)

So our brother gets out of the bathroom and we tell him everyone in the store thinks we're stealing stuff because a cops all harrassing us and won't listen to a word we say.
Our brother who is 20 then goes over to were the two cops are leaning on the counter and asks the other cop if there was a problem.
The cop who wasn't in on anything taps his friend on the back and points back at our brother.

Brother: Is there a problem?
Cop: Yes, there is. Step outside.
Us: Okay
(Walk outside)
Cop: Look, they said you guys were putting stuff in your pockets. Either put the **** back on the counter or put it back on the shelves.
Brother: There is some misunderstanding, we aren't stealing anything. Just tell us what we need to do to get this straghtened out.
Cop: Just put the **** back (Turns around and walks back into the store)

I almost pulled out my wallet and showed him I had $30.00 and that I had NO reason to be stealing jack.

This was probably the most non respectful person I've ever met!

We were just really suprised when he accused us of shoplifting and wouldn't listen to a word we said on our behalf. We just picked up a few candy bars, paid and left.

But we got back to the rental house and called our mom, because we were seriously thinking about going down to the station on reporting that we had just been harrassed at QuickTrip, and we wouldn't be able to show our faces in there again without them watching to make sure we weren't stealing.

But she ended up calling and she called QuickTrip too. And you know what the officer told the police chief? He said that he did believe that we hadn't taken anything! Yeah, well that's great! You could have said something instead of ending with "Put the ______back" and having most the the employees thinking we DID steal!

And you know what's going to happen? He's going to be repremended for his language. ?!

And the black guy that came up first, told mom that the reason the cop was upset at our brother was because he tapped him on the back and asked if there was a problem! He never touched the cop....

But the black guy that worked there did say he would apoligize to us next time we were in there. Oh, wait. He did say he would give us some coupons.


Like we are going to be in there anytime soon.

I just got to say, it's cops like that...That's just not right.

Later, TLB

[FadedOne]

uh wow...that sucks. that really sucks. However, on the upside..it does make for an interesting story to tell your kids someday. LoL. but yea...ouch. I can believe the whole 'suspected of stealing' thing just 'cause that kind of thing happens. I know i've been looked at funny before, although not confronted. The harassment though was WAY out of line.

you know what i recommend? write your local paper's opinion column. that may sound out of line, but honestly, you might be surprised at the power of persuasion. anyways...glad the problem didn't become more serious. it might be fun to get arrested..but complicated.

[Icarus]

it might be fun to get arrested..but complicated.

I was just thinking that the other day...

You probably should write the paper.

[ChristianKitsune]

Wow....that's crazy...

Was he drunk?

[Syreth]

wow, i must say that's quite an adventure you had. At least you guys handled it respectably. Yeah, that will be a good one to tell the kids someday!

[The Last Bard]

Nope, he wasn't drunk. I don't know what his problem was.

[Joshua Christopher]

At least you didn't have water spat upon you by a cynical clerk with a bad attitude who runs a video-store, and comes into the Quickst--uh, QuickTrip to converse with his buddy about pop-culture and such.

[Yumie]

Good greif, that makes me mad just reading it. Some people are so insane.

[Arnobius]

Sounds like the days when I was a teenager. Because a few kids stole, the clerks (especially in smaller stores where the loss hurt more) would either refuse to allow students into the stores at all, limit them or watch them non-stop.

It's too bad they have to treat everyone like a would-be criminal

That cop sounded out of line though

[CDLviking]

That's downright slanderous coming from a police officer. If I were an observer in that situation I would probably assume you were stealing too from the officer's actions. That's degrading to your character. I would demand an apology.

[Slater]

I don't blame the store clerks for their actions, though they were a bit over-reactive. When there's someone in your storeplace, you allways have to be wary of them. Generally, it is good "manners" so to speak to stand outside when waiting for someone, rather than stand inside. This way, you can't be blamed for suspicious activity in the store.

[termyt]

That really stinks. I'm sure I wouldn't have bought anything from them. There are other gas stations and candy's cheaper at any grocery store, anyway, if that's all you are looking to buy.

I hope you don't let this experience get to you too much. I'm afraid that that is part of the society we live in now. Even if they suspected you, it should have been handled differently, but it was what it was. You will not always get a fair shake, but if you let the unfair things affect the way you act, you decrease the likelihood of getting a fair one in the future.

[Tenshi no Ai]

Wow, it was dumb that they accused you with NO proof whatsoever expect "you were standing there and looking suspicious". I mean if you DID steal something, you think a smart person would just take the stuff and leave quickly without being noticed, instead of staying there :/

Sort of reminds me of my old high school's convinient store across the street: the couple that owns it watches you like a HAWK. And the rule is simply "either you buy something or get out" because they disslike friends coming in with other friends :/ And yeah I do realize that people are little brats and steal things that cost a quarter because it's there and "they just don't wanna pay for it". (I actually roll my eyes when people "sample" bulk bins of candy... I mean c'maaan....). But this store has got hit bad with vandels too and with so many windows broken, they finally cemented/boarded it up, making it look shabby, but at least it won't be wreaked.

Just oy, peopel these days >_< I hate it that every teen is suspected as being a theft.

[Mithrandir]

Tenshi - in my experiece most crooks aren't "smart people." Actually, I've been acosted by the cops on a few occasions myself. I tend to be a rather charismatic person, so I've always been able to talk my way out of any situations like though, though. I had a similar experience in Arizona on a work and witness trip once. Heh. I guess I looked pretty haggard.

[Da Rabid Duckie]

If memory serves me correctly, you have enough to file a harassment complaint against the police, and then the individual that confronted you at the store because I can guarantee that's a violation of their loss-prevention procedures, which are designed so they don't violate an individual's constitutional right to privacy, more specifially regarding proper search and seizure.

... I'm starting to turn into an ambulance chaser, and I'm not even in law school yet. *sigh*

ANYWAY, you didn't have to take that, and even if you HAD taken something (which you didn't) the charge would have been dropped because the clerk handled it in a completely wrong manner.

[mechana2015]

I agree with what CDL said on the last page. You can't shop in that store again due to the officers actions.

[Jack Bond]

Man, that police man needs to learn how to be a cop before he accepts the job. And what happened to innocent until proved guilty?

[TurkishMonky]

that's horrible.. i and my brother had a similar experience, but not nearly as bad as all that...

the McDonalds monopoly game lets you mail in envelopes and get entries without buying anything, (as required by law, i think) so my bro figured out that it was only like 74 cents to mail the S.A.S.E. and we get a buck for best buy, so he does like 30 of these, and gets a ton of free food from the pices, so we decide to do breakfast with some friends at McDonalds. The clerk saw that we all had free food pieces, and, instead of asking where we got them or somthing nicely, started growling "which one of you works at mcdonalds?" and then threatened to call it in, even after my brother explained that we got the pieces legitly..

what's more, when we went to Best Buy to get a video game, the clerk would only let us use three pieces... we explained to the clerk that only music and dvds were limited to three on the official rules, and we asked to see the manager.. the manager insisted that video games had a three best buy buck limit... so we left, printed off the official rules, and returned... the clerk got the manager, and showing it to the manager she got her manager (the manager of the store), who kept insisting on a three best buy buck limit, without giving a reason, even with evedince... we tried to ask why, but he wouldn't say, until we hinted that it might be a this store only policy, and he hastily agreed.... so we went to another best buy, and no problem...

[termyt]

Man, that police man needs to learn how to be a cop before he accepts the job. And what happened to innocent until proved guilty?

Actually, it's not the cop's job to reason out guilt or innocence. Their job is to protect the common interest and respond to the situations that present themselves. The store clerk requested police assistance and it was his duty to respond.

Whether or not the situation was handled properly is open to debate, but given the facts as they were presented, the police had a duty to confront The Last Bard and siblings. There was no proof of wrong doing, so they were not detained regardless of what anyone thought they were doing. The system more or less worked as it was supposed to. The truly regrettable part, in my mind, was the manner with which the guys were treated. Rudeness is all too common in our society today, partly because we only recognize when rudeness happens to ourselves and not when we inflict rudeness on others.

[Soukoru]

Actually, it's not the cop's job to reason out guilt or innocence. Their job is to protect the common interest and respond to the situations that present themselves. The store clerk requested police assistance and it was his duty to respond.

Whether or not the situation was handled properly is open to debate, but given the facts as they were presented, the police had a duty to confront The Last Bard and siblings. There was no proof of wrong doing, so they were not detained regardless of what anyone thought they were doing. The system more or less worked as it was supposed to. The truly regrettable part, in my mind, was the manner with which the guys were treated. Rudeness is all too common in our society today, partly because we only recognize when rudeness happens to ourselves and not when we inflict rudeness on others.

I hate to admit it, but I agree with termyt. The system worked as it was supposed to, but I could have been handled with a much calmer fashion. Maybe the cop was having a bad day and didn't want to have "troublesome teens" on his hands, jumped to conclusions, and went off on you guys. Everyone has done it in their lifetime (as I even have).
I feel sorry that *everyone* was against you. (<---not sarcastic) The black guy, the clerk, and the police officer. (Geez, it just wasn't your day huh? )

*EDIT: Up where it says "I could have been handled with a much calmer fashion", 'I' is actually supposed to be 'it'.

[CDLviking]

The system arrived at the desired end, but the means to reach it did not run how the system should have run. Intimidation and slander are not part of an officer's duty.

[The Last Bard]

If the cop truly thought we didn't have anything, like he told the Police Chief, then why are we still considered shoplifters?
If he did believe that, then he should have went back inside and set it straight.

It's just not right for him to ruin our reputations like that and not even care if we say we don't have anything or even show him we don't have anything.

It would even be one thing if we were on vacation and never came in there again. But we go in the station more than any other. And not to mention there are only about 3-4 people that work there, and they were all working that day.

And I have to disagree. The outcome was not right. I should not walk in there and be looked at differently from any of the other customers. They don't steal, neither do I.

But I'll get over it.

Later, Aaron

[termyt]

I agree that the officer should have come out and said you didn't take anything if that's what he believed. Most Americans do not deal well with conflict. We tend to avoid it if we can, but you'd expect a police officer, whose job requires that he step in and mediate conflict, would do a better job of it then that.

I want to make it clear that I do not think you were treated fairly and I do not believe things should have been resolved the way they were. My previous post was just to point out that the cop was obligated to say something to you. What he said and the way he acted seemed out of line, as indicated by his partner’s reluctance to get involved. That seemed to indicate to me that he did not agree with the other officer's handling of the situation.

[Tommy]

Did the cop swear?

Why did you block out?

[The Last Bard]

Tom Dincht:

Did the cop swear?

Yes, he swore.

termyte, yeah, I know what you're saying. I was mostly just saying I didn't think things turned out how they should've in the end. And I was mostly saying that after CDLviking said:

"The system arrived at the desired end, but the means to reach it did not run how the system should have run. Intimidation and slander are not part of an officer's duty."

And I know what you're saying CDLviking, and it would be okay to say that if that was all that have happened, but I just wish he -the officer- would have tried clearing things up the way they should have been, instead of leaving me/us with looking bad.

[CDLviking]

Actually, my response was geared towards this remark:

The system worked as it was supposed to, but I could have been handled with a much calmer fashion.

In that sense I took "end" to mean that the officer did his duty in the way that Termyt described. His intimidation and the slander to your reputation are the foul means and byproduct of those means, not to be confused with the desired end. I suppose my language may have been to philosophical. "End" is the usual way of translating the Greek word telos, which is the form of end I was meaning.

[The Last Bard]

Okay, I gotcha.

Actually though, the manager of QT called my mom today and told her he was sorry once again, BUT did say that the officer did call him and tell him that we admitted to having candy, but putting it back! This guy told his chief that he knew we didn't have anything, then he turns around and tells the Store Manager that we did, and did admit to it.
I'm really not starting to like this guy...lol
And we were ready to drop it. But I guess this guy is sort of known for doin' trashy stuff that he shouldn't.

The manager is going to watch the security tapes tonight though, so hopefully everything will get worked out.

[CDLviking]

I'm generally not a litigous person, but maybe some legal action would help straighten that guy out.

[Soukoru]

I'm generally not a litigous person, but maybe some legal action would help straighten that guy out.

I definetely agree with you CDLviking. I don't like going deep into something small (like they say: "Don't sweat the small stuff"), but I don't like people who lie constantly over and over again, expecially when they are on the side of the law.

Hope they find you innocent. (Of course, you already were anyways...)

[termyt]

Okay, I gotcha.

Actually though, the manager of QT called my mom today and told her he was sorry once again, BUT did say that the officer did call him and tell him that we admitted to having candy, but putting it back! This guy told his chief that he knew we didn't have anything, then he turns around and tells the Store Manager that we did, and did admit to it.
I'm really not starting to like this guy...lol
And we were ready to drop it. But I guess this guy is sort of known for doin' trashy stuff that he shouldn't.

The manager is going to watch the security tapes tonight though, so hopefully everything will get worked out.

It sounds to me like the whole event is become clouded by third-hand information - kind of like the telephone game. I don't think anyone is getting a clear picture of the situation as it went down. Instead, actions and comments are being related in improper order and context. From the evidence put forward I can see several scenarios for what actually took place. Since I wasn’t there personally, I am likely to latch onto one of those scenarios as being the most likely. Since my relationship is with you, LB, I am most tempted to assume this:

The officer is duplicitous at best. He wants to make everyone happy and keep himself out of trouble. He sees the manager of that store every day – you he never sees. So when a “problemâ€