Girl wrongly accused of stealing from Jacksonville Publix surprised, arrested

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A nationally-acknowledged demo law firm is now defending a female who was wrongly accused of thieving from a Westside Publix. She was hit with a stun gun and arrested by a Jacksonville law enforcement officer.

“The basic concern right here is this law enforcement officer staying empowered by Publix to harass this Black woman for purchasing whilst Black,” lawyer Ben Crump reported in the course of a Thursday information convention.

The incident occurred in February 2020. Crump explained he’s receiving involved simply because his client’s constitutional legal rights are at stake.

Attorneys say Tawanda Crowell suffered bodily and mental trauma and dropped her job due to the incident. They think Publix is accountable.

JSO system camera footage exhibits the moment Crowell was approached by officer Kevin Munger soon after a Publix employee described they “did not see a receipt” immediately after she concluded searching.

Munger: “Can you just present me your receipt?”
Crowell: “No, I’m not gonna do that. Y’all profile Black men and women just about every day like that.”

UNCUT BODYCAM: Girl wrongly accused of thieving from Jacksonville Publix shocked, arrested (Viewer discretion suggested)

With her lawyers by her facet Thursday, Crowell stated she did present Munger a receipt.

“I just refused to give the receipt at that stage for the reason that I didn’t know what would occur with the receipt,” Crowell stated.

In the online video, Crowell gives to go within the retail outlet to search at the cameras, but frequently denies supplying the officer the receipt or her ID, and he claims he will consider her to jail.

Munger: “I’m heading to tase you correct now. Get out of the vehicle. I’m heading to tase you suitable now.”

The video then demonstrates Crowell getting shocked. She was billed with resisting an officer with no violence. Following the arrest, the officer learned she paid out for the things and surveillance video confirmed it as well.

The State Attorney’s Business dropped the fees, and Crowell is suing Publix for $50,000 in damages.

Courtroom files display Publix states the officer was not one particular of its workforce and that it did not ask him to make an arrest. Publix states it depends on instruction officers get from the Sheriff’s Business office to carry out their responsibilities and it states that a Publix employee reporting not seeing a receipt is distinctive from generating a bogus assertion. Publix has questioned a judge for a summary judgement in its favor.

Crowell’s attorney Steve Combs claims he believes Publix workouts some control around these officers.

“Publix made this method. This officer — why would he have decline avoidance teaching operating for JSO? He necessary loss avoidance schooling simply because he was doing the job at Publix,” Combs claimed.

Her lawyers say they will also go after the position officers play at Publix as very well as their mitigation methods.

Munger is nonetheless employed with JSO and Information4Jax has asked for his concise historical past to see if any motion was taken by the department just after this incident.

The lawyers are inquiring any person with added movie of this incident to come forward.