Man pulls knife at Walmart

A Walmart employee received a shock Monday, Nov. 5, when a man pulled out a knife after he was confronted for shoplifting. 

Police were called to Walmart, 805 S.C. 9 Bypass, at 3:37 p.m. about a report of a shoplifting incident earlier that day involving a weapon, according to a Lancaster Police Department incident report. 

An employee told officers that at about 11 a.m., a shift manager called him for help with a older man suspected of stealing steaks from the meat department. 

When the employee arrived at the front grocery door, he saw the older man running toward him. 

As the employee stepped into the man’s path to prevent him from leaving, the man reached into his pocket, pulled out a knife and opened it, the report said. 

Fearing for his life, the employee stepped out of the way and the man ran outside.

A loss-prevention employee provided officers with surveillance photos showing the man run from the store, get into a vehicle and drive away, though there were no photos of the man taking the steaks, the report said. 

A meat department employee later told officers he witnessed the man put about 10 packs of ribeye steaks into his jacket. 

The shift manager also saw the man with what appeared to be packages of meat in his jacket, the report said. 

On Thursday afternoon, the man had still not been identified and no arrests had been made in the case. Loss-prevention officers were told to call police if the man returned. 

Lancaster Police Capt. Scott Grant said there were no updates or developments in the case late Thursday afternoon. 

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the police department at (803) 283-1171 or (803) 283-3313.

 Contact reporter Chris Sardelli at (803) 416-8416