Wal-Mart worker dies after shoppers knock him down

[BIGMAN131307]

Wal-Mart worker dies after shoppers knock him down

NEW YORK – A worker was killed in the crush Friday after a throng of shoppers eager for post-Thanksgiving bargains burst through the doors at a suburban Wal-Mart, authorities said.

At least four other people were injured, and the store in Valley Stream on Long Island was closed.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in Bentonville, Ark., called the incident a "tragic situation" and said the employee came from a temporary agency and was doing maintenance work at the store.

"He was bum-rushed by 200 people," co-worker Jimmy Overby, 43, told the Daily News. "They took the doors off the hinges. He was trampled and killed in front of me. They took me down too. ... I literally had to fight people off my back."

Nassau County police said the 34-year-old worker was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead at about 6 a.m. The man's name was not released and the cause of death was not immediately known.

WTH is wrong with these people. Are these "sales" worth killing others? I say they charge all 200 of them for murder. Maybe that will make these morons realize that this type of action is not wanted.

[darkmarkshark]

The way these sales are set up pretty much guarantees there will be injuries from the crowd rushing

If I owned a store that was typically open all 24, and wanted to entice all shoppers to come on black friday, I'd first off all, not close down thursday as doing so only forms a crowd on a friday that will create a rush. And I wouldn't cram all of my sales into a 4 or 5 hour period - I'd have them spread throughout the day

I really don't get why walmart still uses the philosophy of enticing hundreds of shoppers to rush their doors immediately upon opening on friday. This isn't the first time something like this has happened becasue of their creation of the mad rush

Remember a few years ago where a walmart hosted a balloon pop for children under 5 - the kids popped the balloons and got the toy inside the balloon they popped. There were alot of injuries because PARENTS rushed into the balloon pop area to grab the more valuable toys. And that was with people who should have known that doing so put their child at risk and i think there were only 25 or 50 adults present

[ziggidypoo]

We have enough killin's w/o stupidity run-overs too!!

What kind of Christmas will that person's family have this year??

Sounds like a mite bit of greed if ya ask me. IMHO

[TexasTravel]

This is flat out idiotic and stupid, but, it does not surprise me. I am surprised that it does not happen more often.

[Birdbomb]

I went shopping one time on Black Friday and swore I'd never do it again. The crush of the crowds can be horriffic! And all to save a few $$$?? I never got all my shoping done that day, I didn't find "great" specials on the stuff I wanted to buy. Just saved $100 on a carpet cleaner but had to stand in line to check out for 4 hours! Add to it the 2 hours before the store opened and then fighting the crowd. Screw that!

The way to eliminate this kind of mindless garbage it to force retailers who perpetrate this activity to have ample supplies of stock. None of this "Only 20 units per store" type of baiting. If you know 20,000 peope want this product, then have that many! Wal-Mart needs to held accountable

Poor guy never had a chance.

[Bernard]

Most of the stores in my area have employees manage the waiting lines and only allow a few people in at a time.

[brain]

Not so in my area, they restrict them here, many of them
have security doors, so people can't hoard into them like
that! It's really tragic!



But that shows just how greedy and desperate some folks
are for a bargain! I'm one of those that gets up in the early
AM hours, however, everyone takes their place in line! Or
otherwise, the Cops will be out! No ifs, ands, or buts, about
it ... one experience years ago with a similar case such as the
terrible tragedy like the one below, really had everyone gunned
up their gears for crowd control!

People have learned to "behave" yourselves, or you'll end up
with nice shiny bracelets on your wrists!



(((((((((( Hugs to the family of deceased one ))))))))))))

That surely was an unruly mob!

[BuckeyeFan]

Talked to someone last night who was waiting in the checkout line behind a woman with only two items. When that women got close to the front, she called others on her cell phone and let four other women with two full carts each to get in front of her, obviously pissing off the rest of the line.

Face it folks, sanity is dead. We are now ruled by the 'give me, give me' and 'its all about me' society.

[Belinda5000]

I've never been shopping on a Black Friday and I'll never go on one.
my thoughts go to the family of the person who died.

Belinda

[drarvindr]

Poor guy's Friday was really black. Stupid that you trample a guy to death to save a few bucks.

[alivenwell]

I seriously doubt Sam Walton had any of this in mind when he formed this chain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Walton

Sam Walton was born to Thomas Gibson Walton and Nancy “Nannie” Lee Lawrence near Kingfisher, Oklahoma on March 29, 1918.[1] There, he lived with his parents on their farm until 1923. Sam's father decided farming did not generate enough income on which to raise a family, so he decided to go back to a previous profession of a mortgage man. So he and his family (now with another son, James born in 1921) moved from Oklahoma to Missouri. There they moved from one small town to another for several years. While attending 8th grade in Shelbina, Sam became the youngest Eagle Scout in the state's history.[2] In adult life, Walton became a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America.[3]

Walton excelled physically in high school, playing basketball and football as starting quarterback for Columbia's David H. Hickman High School in 1935, when they won the state title. While at Hickman, he also served as vice president of the student body in his junior year and as president in his senior year. He performed well enough academically to become an honors student.

Growing up during the Great Depression, Walton had numerous chores to help make financial ends meet for his family. He milked the family cow, bottled the surplus and drove it to customers. Afterwards, he would deliver newspapers on a paper route. Upon graduating, he was voted "Most Versatile Boy."

After high school, Walton decided to attend college, hoping to find a better way to help support his family. He attended the University of Missouri and majored in economics and was an ROTC officer. During this time, he worked various odd jobs, including waiting tables in exchange for meals. Also during his time in college, Walton joined the estimable Zeta Phi chapter of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He was also tapped by QEBH, the well-known secret society on campus honoring the top senior men. Upon graduating, he was voted "permanent president" of the class.

Walton joined JC Penney's as a management trainee in Des Moines, Iowa three days after graduating from college. This position earned him $75 a month. He resigned in 1942 in anticipation of being inducted into the military for service in World War II. In the meantime, he worked at a DuPont munitions plant near Tulsa, Oklahoma. Soon afterwards, Walton joined the military in the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps, supervising security at aircraft plants and prisoner of war camps. In this position he served in the continental United States. He eventually reached the rank of captain.


[edit] The first stores
In 1945, after leaving the military, Walton decided he wanted to own a department store but would settle for a variety store. With some help from his father-in-law with a loan of $20,000, plus $5,000 he had saved from his time in the Army, Walton purchased a Ben Franklin variety store in Newport, Arkansas. The store was a franchise of the Butler Brothers chain.

It was here that Walton pioneered many concepts that would prove to be crucial to his success. Walton made sure the shelves were consistently stocked with a wide range of goods at low prices. His store also stayed open later than most other stores, especially during the Christmas season. He also pioneered the practice of discount merchandising by buying wholesale goods from the lowest priced supplier. This allowed him to pass on savings to his customers, which drove up his sales volume. Higher volumes allowed him to negotiate even lower purchase prices with the wholesaler on subsequent purchases. Walton's store led in sales and profits in the Butler Brothers' six-state region. One factor that made this store successful was its central location, making it accessible to a wide range of customers. In an attempt to limit the expansion of his main competitor, the Sterling Store, Walton leased a nearby Kroger store and opened it in 1950 as the "Eagle" department store, but it didn't fare as well.

Due to the variety store's enormous success, the landlord, P.K. Holmes, refused to renew the lease when it expired, desiring to pass the store onto his son. The lack of a renewal option, together with the outrageous rent of 5% of sales, were early business lessons to Walton. Despite forcing Walton out, Holmes bought the store's inventory and fixtures for $50,000, which Walton called "a fair price."


[edit] Walton's Five and Dime (a.k.a. Walton's 5 & 10)

Sam Walton's original Walton's Five and Dime, now the Wal-Mart Visitor's Center, Bentonville, Arkansas.Before long, Walton arranged for another location for a new store. Unable to find a new location in Newport, Walton located a variety store in Bentonville, Arkansas which he would open as another called "Walton's Five and Dime." In Bentonville, the Waltons became involved in numerous civic activities. Sam Walton served as president of the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce.


[edit] A chain of Ben Franklin stores
Over time, Walton went on to open more Ben Franklin stores with the help of his brother, father-in-law, and brother-in-law. In 1954, he opened a store with his brother in a shopping center in Ruskin Heights, a suburb of Kansas City. He opened another in Arkansas, but it failed to be as successful as his other stores. Walton decided to concentrate on retail business instead of the shopping centers and opened larger stores which were called "Walton's Family Center."

Walton offered managers the opportunity to become limited partners if they would invest in the store they oversaw and then invest a maximum of $1,000 in new outlets as they opened. This motivated the managers to always try to maximize profits and improve their managerial skills. By 1962, Walton and his brother Bud owned sixteen variety stores in Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas (fifteen Ben Franklin and the one independent Fayetteville store).


[edit] The first Wal-Mart
Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (January 2007)

The first true Wal-Mart opened in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas. Wal-Mart eventually became the world's largest retailer.

Wal-Mart has outreach programs led by local employees who grew up in the area and understand its needs. Wal-Mart becomes involved in local communities by allowing local charities to hold bake sales on store property, and by offering scholarships to graduating seniors from local high schools.[4] Wal-Mart's slogan is "The lowest Prices. Guaranteed!" Changed in 2007 to "Save Money. Live Better."


[edit] Legacy and death
In 1985, Sam Walton began a program designed to stem the 'tide of communism' in Central America by promoting capitalism and privatization.
In 1998, Walton was included in Time's list of 100 most influential people of the 20th Century. Walton was honored for all his pioneering efforts in retail in March 1992, when he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George H. W. Bush. That year, the Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China awarded him the Golden Star Foreigner's Award for "tireless assistance in the development of People's owned factories in the Suzhou area".
Forbes ranked Sam Walton as the richest man in the United States from 1985 to 1988, ceding the top spot to John Kluge in 1989 when the editors began to credit Walton's fortune jointly to him and his four children. (Bill Gates first headed the list in 1992, the year Walton died). Wal-Mart Stores Incorporated also runs Sam's Club warehouse stores. Wal-Mart stores operate in The United States, Mexico, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, China, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and in the United Kingdom.
He left his ownership in Wal-Mart to his wife and their children: S. Robson "Rob" Walton, John T. Walton, Jim Walton, and Alice Walton. Rob Walton succeeded his father as the Chairman of the Board of Wal-Mart, and John was a director until his death in a 2005 plane crash. The others are not directly involved in the company (except through their voting power as shareholders). The Walton family held 5 spots in the top 10 richest people in the United States until 2005. Two daughters of Sam's brother Bud Walton, Ann Kroenke and Nancy Laurie, hold smaller shares in the company and are also billionaires in their own right.
Walton supported various charitable causes, including those of his church, the Presbyterian Church (USA). The Sam and Helen R. Walton Award was created in 1991 when the Waltons made a gift of six million dollars which included an endowment in the amount of three million dollars to provide annual awards to new church developments that are working in creative ways to share the Christian faith in local communities.
Walton is honored at the University of Arkansas by having the Business College (Sam M. Walton College of Business) named in his honor.
Walton died Sunday April 5, 1992, of a type of multiple myeloma, a cancer.[5]

[stilldancing_98]

That is so sad. I used to work at Mervyns. I loved that day. So much energy. But because of the economy people are freaking out. I went out Friday but not until 10.

[ashmstng]

I think that was so horrible. But I do want to say as much as you all hate that place or have something you dislike. I work there. I never really thought I would. I needed a job and applied and got a call a week later. I can say they sure have paid me well compared of my other job. So I am not going to complain. I dont ever think this place would be perfect being open 24/7. It is a hard store to keep together. Sorry for what happened and for what you all think. I can say I have my own opinion about them also. Just cant complain about my pay and how I have been treated for the last 4 years.

[jazz'smum]

That is so sadAre people that desperate to get something on sale that they have to trample someone to death.
We have our sales here on Boxing Day people are like racing bulls it's so shocking to watch.
My deepest sympathy to the family of this poor young man.

[BIGMAN131307]

Sought: Wal-Mart shoppers who trampled NY worker

NEW YORK – Police are reviewing surveillance videos of a post-Thanksgiving shopper stampede that trampled a suburban Wal-Mart worker to death, but they acknowledge it may be difficult to bring criminal charges.

Nassau County police and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said no new information was available Saturday on the employee's brutal death, which rattled shoppers even as they flocked to the Valley Stream store a day later.

"It felt a little freakish," customer Ellie Berhun, 48, told the Daily News. "Some man lost his life because a VCR was on sale? Please. It's just too sad for words."

Police said the temporary worker, Jdimytai Damour, was mowed down as about 2,000 bargain-hunters surged into the store at Friday's 5 a.m. opening, leaving a metal portion of the door frame crumpled like an accordion.

Other workers were knocked to the ground as they tried to rescue Damour, and customers simply stepped over him and kept shopping even as the store announced it was closing because of the death, police and witnesses said.

I hope the police are able to identify everyone of them, and lock 'em up.

[darkmarkshark]

One thing to keep in mind though is those at the middle of the rush would have been crushed to death themselves if they stopped. A good deal of them likely wouldn't have been able to stop even if they wanted to because the crowd behind them would carry them along.

Its like all those rushes they have at mecca only on a much smaller scale

[ziggidypoo]

ALIVENWELL thank you for the historic report - I remember the BEN FRANKLIN 5 & 10 with coke machines that you put a dime in and opened the door and pulled out your selection. I never knew old Sam owned it.

I think Sam would sob over this situation - I also, unrelated to this, think Walt Disney would sob over a lot of what comes out of Disney now.

Times have not gotten better in a lot of ways.

Technology has gotten to where people can survive things that back in the 5 and 10 day would have died.

This event added to a 5 yr old shooting a 2 yr old added to an 8 yr old killing his father and another man added to .....

It's not a pleasant experience to listen to the news - we seem to be immunized to tragedy any more. I remember a day when a cop car NEVER "HAD" to come out and if it did the entire neighborhood came out to check out the situation - not out of the present day hunger for thrills but concern. I remember neighbors helping neighbors in bad times.

I've told a nephew who is a lifer in the service that if the draft was instilled again - it would take care of our kids who seem to have no direction in life - homeland and overseas security.

2 of my kids have worked at Wal-mart before and on "THAT" day, they said the workers would hide behind tall, plastic covered racks of items not yet opened for sale when the doors opened. PITIFUL!!!

G R E E D

and lack of conscience from TV???


NOT LAUGHING.

[BuckeyeFan]

Though not a big fan of Wal-Mart business practices, I do not blame this on them unless some other info comes out. This same horrible thing has happened in many other places and happened in Cincinnati, Ohio at a rock concert back in the 70s. Several were killed that time.

I got caught briefly in a crowd push one time (not shopping). As big as I am, I was able to protect myself, but it was amazing how much pressure there was behind me. It was not the people right behind me pushing, it was the incremental pressure of all those people behind them. This is just an awful thing that happens without any single person to blame for an incident. Just stupid.