Lawyer: Trampled NY worker lacked crowd training

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Source: Associated Press

MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) — A worker trampled to death when customers stormed a Wal-Mart for bargains on the day after Thanksgiving had no experience in crowd control and was placed at the entrance because of his hulking frame, police and a lawyer said Monday.

The details about the deadly stampede came out as police pored over video surveillance provided by the store while considering possible criminal charges. Lawyers were also preparing to sue over the episode.

Nassau County Police Commissioner Lawrence Mulvey noted that the worker, Jdimytai Damour, was 6 feet 5 and 270 pounds, making the trampling all the more stunning. He was killed when a crowd estimated at 2,000 strong broke down the electronic doors in frantic pursuit of bargains on big-screen TVs, clothing and other items.

"Literally anyone, those hundreds of people who did make their way into the store, literally had to step over or around him or unfortunately on him to get into the Wal-Mart store," said Mulvey.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iDXtETwP7G17BQsO07DecwxuziLgD94Q89OGA

[ksimons]

1. Walmart is taking our country into a dark place

and all in the name of profits

[AtheistCrusader]

4. What did Wal-Mart do differently this year from last year?

Is it just luck that this never happened before (that I am aware of), or did they do something this year leaving the shoppers somehow more desperate to gain access to the store?

I don't really see anything in the advertising I have received that really looks any different from the last few years. In fact, I've received a lot less of it this year.

I don't mean to downplay this disgusting event, but I am curious what, if anything, changed. Were stores like Wal-Mart just lucky last year? I didn't see behavior like this during our ice storm, when people stripped stores bare buying up everything you can imagine, after 5-7 days of no electricity. I never saw a stampede or rush like this during that storm, and we had people actually freezing, and starving, stores understocked from lack of shipment, or power to keep perishables legal for sale, point of sale systems that could work with no electricity in our largely cashless society, etc..

What gives?

[RCinBrooklyn]

2. I hate Wal-Mart, but the cause is rampant consumerism fed by the impending economic implosion.

[silverojo]

6. Don't forget, just plain evil people

When Wal-Mart tried to get all the shoppers out of there, so the emergency crews could work on the victim, never forget what those shoppers did:

THEY COMPLAINED BECAUSE THEIR SHOPPING WAS BEING INTERRUPTED.

SOME STOOD AROUND, GIGGLING AND JOKING AS THE PARAMEDICS ADMINISTERED C.P.R.

What you mentioned, and the two things I've mentioned, aren't Wal-Mart's fault.

It's the fault of a revolting consumerist society.

[Missy Vixen]

3. Mr. Damour was the size of a NFL defensive end

In other words, not a small man. Considering the fact he was a "temporary maintenance employee", why would he have crowd control experience in the first place?

The best thing Wal-Mart can do at this point, IMHO, is to hire a crowd control/loss prevention firm, implement their advice and findings on a company-wide level, and write a very, very, VERY large check to Mr. Damour's survivors. If this ever sees the inside of a courtroom, I'm thinking it would be a damage award rivaling the largest ones ever paid out in US history.

Julie

[NBachers]

5. Good call on the damage award

Just let this one get to a jury.

[bluestateguy]

7. Here we go...

the fingerpointing has begun, and nobody will end up taking any responsibility. Not WalMart, and not the savages who trampled him.

[newamericanpatriot]

8. Hmmmm.....

While I think Wal Mart also screws with the economy, in this case, it's not their fault so much as the greedy bastards that would stomp a man to death - or cooly walk over and/or around a dying human being - all in the name of a five-dollar discount.

Evil bastards.