Suspected thief is beaten by store employees until his pulse stopped, NC cops say
.jpg "One man suspected of stealing cellphones was nearly beaten to death by employees, police said, while another suspect escaped.")
A man suspected of stealing cellphones from a Charlotte business nearly died after he was caught by employees, who beat him within inches of his life, according to tweet from police.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said the incident occurred last Thursday evening at a United Wireless Group store, WCNC reported.
Two men were suspected of stealing cellphones from the business, and while one of them escaped in a U-Haul truck, the other got into a “physical altercation” with at least one employee, police said on Twitter.
When officers arrived at the store, employees were on the ground, holding down the suspect whose pulse had stopped in the fight, and required “immediate medical attention” in the form of CPR, police tweeted.
The suspect was taken to an area hospital, where he was listed in critical condition, according to police.
In an attempt to stop the other suspect, an employee “shot a gun multiple times,” said police, who did not report any gunshot wounds or related injuries, per WSOC.
At least one bullet hit the U-Haul truck, which was discovered abandoned by police, but the second suspect was not found — even with the aid of K-9 units and a helicopter, WBTV reported.
Police said no employees have been charged for their role in incident, and at least some neighbors supported their actions, according to WSOC.
“Sometimes, that’s the only way, to fight back,” a neighbor said, the TV station reported.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers at 704-334-1600 or submit an online tip.
This story was originally published February 17, 2019 at 1:37 PM with the headline "Suspected thief is beaten by store employees until his pulse stopped, NC cops say."
