Accused thief assaults 3 Walmart workers, then gets hit by a car, Oklahoma cops say

An accused thief was hit by a car after he assaulted several Walmart employees, according to Oklahoma police.

The man loaded a shopping cart with $1,000 in merchandise at a Walmart store in Tulsa and made a break for the exit, the Tulsa Police Department said in a March 12 news release.

He made it out of the store, but he couldn’t make a clean getaway, as three workers were chasing after him, according to police. He attacked the workers but apparently failed to fight them off and decided to run away, police said.

A short time later, police responded to an auto-pedestrian accident at an intersection near the Walmart, then realized it was the alleged thief from earlier that afternoon.

“Witnesses told Officers that the pedestrian ran into the street from behind a stopped truck and was hit by a Chrysler,” the department said.

“Officers immediately recognized the man” and he was taken to a hospital, police said.

Initially, investigators were not able to arrest him.

“Since the suspect was in the hospital for the injuries he sustained by running into the street, he was not placed under arrest,” police said. “Officers continued to work the case and were able to get an arrest warrant issued for the suspect, upon his release from the hospital.”

According to investigators, the man is facing charges of assault and battery, drug possession and larceny of merchandise from a retailer.

This story was originally published March 12, 2024 at 4:52 PM with the headline "Accused thief assaults 3 Walmart workers, then gets hit by a car, Oklahoma cops say."