Police Struggle to Identify Suspects in Walmart Trampling

Police investigating the case of a Wal-Mart worker trampled to death by frenzied shoppers in New York on Friday say it will be difficult to identify the suspects in order to lay criminal charges.

Investigators are reviewing surveillance videos of the post-Thanksgiving Day rush, but said Saturday that no new information is available on the man's death.

Temporary worker Jdimytai Damour, 34, was one of about a dozen people taken down by the stampede at a Valley Stream, N.Y., store on Friday morning as about 2,000 people rushed through the doors at 5 a.m.

A metal portion of the door frame was disfigured by the onslaught, reportedly crumpled like an accordion. When police attempted to help Damour, a number of officers were jostled by customers — some of whom had been lined up since 9 p.m. the night before to take advantage of the sales.

Damour was taken to hospital and later pronounced dead.
At least four other people, including a woman who was eight months pregnant, were taken to hospitals for observation or minor injuries

Nassau County police spokesman Det. Lt. Michael Fleming said that while criminal charges are possible, it will be difficult to identify anyone in the video to lay them against. He said the store clearly did not have enough security to handle the crowds.

Meanwhile, the union that represents retail workers in the United States has accused Wal-Mart of "blatant irresponsibility" by not preventing Damour's death.

"This incident was avoidable," said Bruce Both, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500, as quoted in a report by CNN.

"Where were the safety barriers? Where was security? How did store management not see dangerous numbers of customers barreling down on the store in such an unsafe manner?"

The union, which has long condemned Wal-Mart for allegedly poor treatment of its employees including low wages and poor health benefits, is calling for an investigation "by all levels of government," according to CNN.

Even shoppers, who continued to flock to the store just a day after the brutal incident, said they were disturbed by the details.

"It felt a little freakish," customer Ellie Berhun, 48, told the Daily News newspaper.

"Some man lost his life because a VCR was on sale? Please. It's just too sad for words.
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Witnesses said that shoppers continued streaming into the store as Damour lay on the ground, stepping over his body.

One woman said shoppers were acting like "savages.
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"When they [officials] were saying they had to leave, that an employee got killed, people were yelling 'I've been on line since yesterday morning,"' said Kimberly Cribbs. "They kept shopping.
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Arkansas-based Wal-Mart has called Damour's death a "tragic situation," but defended itself by saying it added staffers and outside security workers and put up barricades to try to prepare for the crush.

The day after American Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday because it has traditionally marked the point when a throng of shoppers pushes stores into profitability for the year