Heart-stopping moment shoplifter pulls out gun to shoot officer at point-blank range
Horrifying body camera footage captured the moment a brazen thief tried to shoot a police officer at point-blank range at an Ohio Walmart.
Police said the suspect was only stopped from carrying out this heinous attack because his gun appeared to be malfunctioning.
The issue arose when 21-year-old Shane Newman and 23-year-old Katarina Jeffrey were allegedly caught trying to shoplift from a Walmart in Canton on Thursday afternoon.
Walmart security reported the suspects to the police as they tried to leave the building with items they allegedly did not pay for.
When police arrived, Newman and Jeffrey were taken to the store’s loss prevention office, where the situation took a heart-stopping turn.
According to the video of the shocking incident, the encounter started calmly.
When an officer asked Newman if there was anything law enforcement should know about him, the alleged attacker said he only had a cell phone.
Newman then voluntarily surrendered a box full of illegal drugs. fox 8 reported.
In footage recorded by a body camera placed on a desk in the office, Jeffrey asked if they were going to jail.
Shane Newman was allegedly caught on body camera footage Thursday pulling out his apparently malfunctioning gun while Katarina Jeffrey sat next to him.
An arrest warrant was out for Shane Newman at the time of the incident and he was considered “armed and dangerous”
Katarina Jeffrey was also arrested after police found trails full of ammunition on her.
“No, unless it’s something crazy,” the officer replied.
As Newman and Jeffrey sat on the sofa, Newman was seen telling an employee: ‘I told him not to steal.’
“You did it too,” a woman off-camera responded. ‘He watched you come over and put an item into a bag on the shelf.’
After a few quiet moments, Newman slowly reached into his backpack and then suddenly pulled out his gun and pointed it at the officer standing a few feet away.
‘No, no, no, no, no, no!’ Jeffrey screamed as chaos broke out.
Police ‘Hey!’ While yelling, the store’s security guard attacked Newman and managed to take the gun from him while the officer was pointing his own gun at the suspect who was using a firearm.
As the police officer and store employees struggled to handcuff Newman, Jeffrey appeared to run to the other side of the office.
Fortunately, no shots were fired, although police said Newman tried.
Retelling the incident to his commander, the officer said Newman “pulled out his gun, pointed it at my head, and pulled the trigger.” “He doesn’t get carried away.”
He later told Walmart managers that just minutes before the deadly gun was drawn, he discovered Newman had an active arrest warrant for him and was considered “armed and dangerous,” according to Fox 8.
The responding deputy said he was going to fire his own weapon but was afraid he would attack the Walmart employee while doing so. He also admitted that he completely missed the gun while searching for Newman.
Newman faces charges including attempted murder, aggravated assault on a peace officer, robbery and felony drug possession.
A heroic store security guard moved to disarm Newman as the police office drew his gun
The horrific incident occurred at a Walmart in Canton, Ohio
He was also charged with possession of a weapon under disability due to his prior criminal history, authorities said.
He is being held in the Stark County jail on $1 million bail.
Jeffrey allegedly had two 9mm bullets on him, according to police. He was charged with complicity to robbery and possession of a weapon under disability for possession of the ammunition.
“This incident is a reminder of the ever-present threat of violence against police officers and God’s gracious protection,” Canton Police Chief John Gabbard said in a statement Friday.
‘Thank you to all of you who regularly pray with me for our officers and our community.’
In a statement to the Daily Mail, a Walmart spokesperson wrote: ‘The safety and security of our customers and employees is always a top priority.
‘We are proud of the courageous action our asset protection staff took to ensure the safety of everyone in our store. We will continue to work with police as the investigation continues.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Canton Police Department for comment and more information about Newman’s criminal history.
