A 33-year-old St. Louis man reportedly knocked down a 53-year-old Imperial woman while attempting to flee from police after an alleged shoplifting incident at the Walmart Supercenter, 2201 Michigan Ave. The man also allegedly tried to assault a police officer during the arrest, Arnold Police reported.
Police were called to the store at about 3:30 p.m. Dec. 18 after the man allegedly attempted to steal $52.68 worth of merchandise from the store. When the man saw two officers arrive, he allegedly tried to escape by running through the store, the report said.
While the suspect was being pursued, he allegedly knocked down the female customer before trying to escape out a side-door exit that is for employee use only. However, other officers were waiting outside the store and arrested the man, according to the report.
As officers arrested him, the man allegedly tried to punch and kick an officer. No officers were injured during the incident, and there was no report of the woman being injured, Lt. Clinton Wooldridge said.
The man was arrested and taken to the Police Station, where he was booked, issued summonses to appear in Arnold Municipal Court for two counts of fourth-degree assault, trespassing and shoplifting and then released, Wooldridge said.