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Photograph of the Valley Stream Wal-Mart on Friday by Ed Betz/AP
Yesterday, the Wal-Mart in Valley Stream was open for business, a day after a worker was trampled to death by shoppers eagerly waiting for the big Black Friday sale. Newsday reports, "But for the spiderweb crack on the glass front door and the car tires rolling over fallen police crime scene tape as drivers searched for parking spots, there was little outward sign of the early-morning chaos" seen on Friday.
The family of 34-year-old Jdimytai Damour, who was a temporary hire for the holiday season (pictured, at left, in a 1993 high school photo), is awaiting the autopsy results. His sister Danielle told the Daily News, "We've got a lawyer already. They haven't released the body because they want to do the autopsy." The Nassau County Police are reviewing surveillance tapes, but admitted it might be hard to press criminal charges.
Yesterday morning, there were over 100 people waiting outside for Wal-Mart to open its door at 7 a.m. Still, shoppers were critical. One said, "You hear about it on the news every Black Friday. You hear about the chaos that takes place. They should have been prepared for this."
The NY Post reports one witness as saying the police left the Wal-Mart right before the chaos: "Once they left, it started getting rowdy. The crowd got restless." The Nassau County police say that while cruisers did patrol the mall, shopping lines are "not something we could normally police," pointing out, "You have to remember that this is private property. The onus is on the store to provide security."
Wal-Mart says that they did have additional security and barricades set up, but added that security is decided on a store-by-store basis. And the repairmen fixing the store's doors, which were damaged in the melee, told Newsday "it would have taken more than 500 pounds of pressure and a jolt to cause the damage."
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save money. live better. sue walmart.
The picture this paints about our awful consumer culture is clear as day. The fact the people 'kept shopping' even after the incident is awful.
It seems to me that they had a direct role in inciting and influencing that mania. Of course, they do gobs of behavioral research to sell when it benefits them, but nothing ever pointed to the fact that people would react this way? Why else did they open so early? Have extra security on hand? They knew they were creating a potentially unsafe situation, but they required their underpaid workers to wake up a 3am to be there.
I saw a number of advertising circulars which specifically said "Doorbreaker" sales. I don't think that we got one from Walmart, but it would be interesting to see what theirs said.
So the police are saying they have no jurisdiction on private property? Would it have killed them to stay a few more moments until the doors opened?
I do have to take that last quote with a grain of salt, though. The guy probably pulled that figure out of thin air. He's a mechanic, not an engineer, although he's right that it would have taken quite a bit of force.
Still, shoppers were critical. One said, "You hear about it on the news every Black Friday. You hear about the chaos that takes place. They should have been prepared for this."
Justifying this casualty simply because it was Black Friday almost sounds pre-meditated, I'd call for manslaughter for any customer that passed through that Wal-mart's front doors on Friday morning.
Wal-Mart should have known, with the type of people that shop there, to provide more adequate security.
I have to say, Wal-Mart dropped the ball here.
The stupid proles that trampled this poor man to death in the name of buying more useless crap for their trashy lifestyle should be charged with manslaughter at the very least.
Any number of people could have stopped a man from being killed.
I have to say, desperation makes people idiots!
I wouldn't think wallmart has all the fault at all.
I see idiotic people as the worse problem all societies have.
All this madness for a on sale duvet? God.
i think you mean an "on sale dew-VIT."
Never stand between a filthy, savage animal that never finished high school and it's discounted I-Pod.
#4 These are the facts-
At 3:10AM, NCPD responded to a call for a disturbance outside of Walmart, they stayed for 30 mins then left...at that time only 500 customers (animals) were on line. Between the time they left and the time the doors opened the line swelled to over 2,000.
NCPD had 6 officers that morning who were assigned just to Green Acres Mall, which is private property.
I have to say, desperation makes people idiots!
I'm sorry—where is the desperation here? Food lines in third world nations are desperation and they're more civilized
This is a great example of American culture. The fact that the Wal-mart remained opened after Jdimytai Damour was killed is a perfect example of how horrible Wal-mart is and how horrific people can be.
Please stop confusing these pathetic excuses of human beings to animals.
Can you name one species of animal who would be so moronic/idiotic to spend all night in line to go into a f&cking Walmart??
Did you see the size of those shoppers at Walmart? They were huge. Elephants and hippos. You have no chance against rampaging animals of that size.
Stop trying to be cute. We know that you refer to "Animals" and "Savages" as black people.
Unless you say otherwise, don't even try to lie.
#15 Please don't be so quick to judge.
Listen to the African-American R&B classic that describes these humans as worse than savage animals:
"The Monkey Speaks His Mind"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRk6x2yj_pk
Seeing Mr. Damour's picture makes this all the sadder. Walmart has a lot to answer for and should be banned from having anymore of these kinds of sales until they come up with a plan to deal with crowds.
I have been to the Valley Stream Mall where this happened several times over the past 5 years and there on Black Friday once. At the main mall building where Pennys, Macys, Sears, etc. are, the crowd is about 90% black. There was no pushing or shoving when the doors opened and there are plenty of "excuse me's", "sorry's", and "no problem's" from accidental bumps or when people want to get buy. The mall, like any mall, has a few characters, but overall, it is a very safe and polite mall to shop in.
Wall Mart, on the other hand, is isolated on the other end of the parking lot attached to Liquidators, which competes price wise. I went into the store once and the inventory was all over the floors along with the food and drinks sold in the store. The place smells bad and the crowd, which is about the same demographics, is very rude. I never went back. Liquidators, right next door, is cleaner, well organized, and security, while being friendly, insure that it is safe. There is a Home Depot less than 100 yards away that is very clean, organized, and safe. The Home Depot in Freeport NY about 5 miles away, however, is filthy, unorganized, and unsafe. The customers are about 50% white.
People will do what you expect them to. This is a store management issue that has nothing to do with demographics.
http://ewebsmith.com/family/thanksgiving.html
These are the facts-
At 3:10AM, NCPD responded to a call for a disturbance outside of Walmart, they stayed for 30 mins then left...at that time only 500 customers (animals) were on line. Between the time they left and the time the doors opened the line swelled to over 2,000.
NCPD had 6 officers that morning who were assigned just to Green Acres Mall, which is private property.
And? Couldn't someone have called again when the crowd swelled? And are you saying again that police have no jurisdiction on private property? Seems like they had plenty after the incident. I guess if the police knock on my door, I'll just say "private property" and walk away.
Why are you saying they're all animals? I doubt 2000 people all pushed. And even of the people in the front, I'm sure some of them pushed while others were pushed. There's plenty of blame to go around, including store management and police.
it's kinda weird how many stores advertise "doorbusters" and "doorbreakers" with "Blitz Line starts here" and then get horrified when the people actually do it.
Hope you like your new iPod, son. Sorry about the blood all over it.
What else can we expect from the sheeple? The Elite of this world have truly done a marvelous job at dumbing down the population. The sheeple have become nothing but savage animals, imagine what they will do when natural resources become scarce. They will be rabid savages.
Thinking about what you said about the Collective Consciousness of our culture, I think that it will eventually 'fix' itself via the collective Unconscious. Consciousness changes via a ripple effect, a small group will start out as iconoclasts and eventually it will become the norm.
inally, a lot of people in general these days lack common sense, simple common sense.
I can somewhat understand if people don't have the finesse for Higher learning, but common sense? Come on now.
People have become irrational animals, just like the ELITE wanted.
That was so, like, deep shinobi shaw. See you in philosophy 201 k bro?
That's why the elites fund Public Libraries and public education and public television..without the "intervention" of the "elites" the common REMAINS in his original state of nature..animalistic and brutish.
Taliban, it seems like you never finished high school either. It is "its," not "it's". And it is iPod, not I-Pod. Just sayin'.
Spiritof76,
NCPD, including the police commissioner, met with the different store managers that are located at Green Acres Mall to plan for the holidays. Last year the police were called to the same Walmart and the doors were also broken.
The police department told these stores that had to make sure adequate security was in place and it was their job to estimate how many customers would be on line.
Not to mention that this was not the only large store at this shopping center to open early and have long lines. Plus, this is not the only shopping center in Nassau County. That morning patrol units were being pulled from almost every other precinct just cover the 5th and 4th precinct because most of those units went to Walmart incident.
Don't blame the PD if there aren't enough officers to go around, blame the County who have kept the staffing levels at the bare minimum.
Yes, your right not everyone on line was an animal, but there were many. Customers chanting to break down the doors, some trying to break the glass, line jumping all over the place and adding a line where there shouldn't have been a line, people shoving pd, ems and fd personal, customers still shopping after being told to leave because an employee died. Those were the animals.
Walmart and the PD may have some to blame but the majority of blame rests with the customers. This is a prime example of how our society is becoming more and more selfish and individualistic. That morning most of the customers were thinking about one thing...How I can save money on something I probably don't even need but have to get because its so cheap. It makes me sick.
Oh and to those not near the front of the line...Why would you even stay on line??????????? Did these people really think that by the time they enter Walmart the merchandise that was advertised (mainly electronics) would still be in stock. HA.
Shoulda turned the fucking hose on them. People behaving like animals don't deserve anything better.