In the process of fighting to get away from Walmart employees who apprehended him stealing, thief Kenneth Wisham managed to get choked sufficiently to wake up dead.
Now, someone might conclude that a small-time career criminal, who kept rolling the dice when he was well and truly caught, is not someone that will be missed by much of anybody. Does anyone ever look off into the horizon with a deep chest sigh, and wistfully express an aching longing for more thieves? Not that we ever noticed.
But someone will always give a career criminal professional courtesy — the same cops and prosecutors and judges that never managed to transmit the biblical message, Thou Shalt Not Steal, through the thick (and now ambient temperature) skull of Ken Wisham. The same cops and prosecutors and judges that encourage these worthless thieves by pursuing ultra-lenient treatment of them, are throwing the books at three ordinary workers who stopped a thief.
Just because the total waste of skin up and vapor-locked on ’em.
Professional courtesy in the legal system strikes again, and who’s a more quintessential or necessary criminal-justice professional than the criminal?
Three Wal-Mart employees involved in the apprehension of a suspected shoplifter earlier this year have been charged with contributing to the man’s death while in their custody.
All three have been charged with manslaughter in the death of Kenneth E. Wisham, 64, of Lakeland. The charge is a second-degree felony.
The charges stem from an autopsy showing Wisham died of mechanical asphyxiation while being restrained, police said. The autopsy also revealed Wisham sustained 15 broken ribs during the altercation Feb. 7 outside of a Lakeland Wal-Mart on U.S. 98 North.
The suspects in the case are Lakeland residents Nathan Allen Higgins, 35, a support manager; and Crucelis Nunez, 23, a customer service manager. Also charged is Randall Eugene Tomko, 58, of Winter Haven, a loss prevention worker.
Frankly, a return to civilized norms demands more dead thieves, not fewer. These three should be awarded Wisham’s ears and eyeteeth, and given the Key to the City to a chorus of mighty “Waidmannsheil!”s.
Yeah, it’s not going to happen. That’s why they call it a dream, eh?
Kevin was a former Special Forces weapons man (MOS 18B, before the 18 series, 11B with Skill Qualification Indicator of S). His focus was on weapons: their history, effects and employment. He started WeaponsMan.com in 2011 and operated it until he passed away in 2017. His work is being preserved here at the request of his family.
6 thoughts on “When Guns are Outlawed, Only Outlaws will have Stranglin’ Thumbs”
A couple things.
First, unless something’s changed since I worked for Sam’s Club (the Wally World wholesale side), only managerial employees and loss prevention (LP) are allowed to collar suspected or spotted thieves. There’s a liability issue involved, IIRC.
Which makes me wonder if Wal-Mart might be footing the bill for their defense? They were acting as per company policy (well, up to the point where Wisham died. Pretty certain that’s NOT policy).
Maybe it should be.
Resist a demand to stop= desire to meet Mr. chokehold.
At least he won’t be draining the prison system of vital resources.
Shoplifting is not a death penalty crime, but violently resisting apprehension is a different crime entirely.
I will be very surprised if W-M steps up for there employee’s. And I can echo that when I worked there many years ago (1992-96) the policy was the same as the former Sam’s Club employee mentioned.
Well now wait a minute.
You listed the cops in there with the two sets of lawyers, I cry foul.
They should challenge the autopsy, most shoplifters are addicts. There were surely contributing factors, and a video.
Geez, listing the cops with the lawyers, that just ain’t right.
Depends on how much money they have available to defend them. Challenging an autopsy usually requires hiring your own expert, and there’s a good chance these guys simply cannot afford to do so.