Dramatic video captures accused shoplifter allegedly pulling a gun on Ohio police officer

(NEW YORK) — Dramatic police body-camera video released by officials captured the moment an accused shoplifter allegedly pulled a handgun on a police officer inside a Canton, Ohio, Walmart before he was tackled by a store employee.

The incident unfolded on Thursday after the suspect, identified as 21-year-old Shane C.L. Newman, and a female companion were being held in a back office by an off-duty Canton police officer, who was a working security detail at the store, officials said.

“This incident is a reminder of the ever-present threat of violence against police officers and the gracious provision of God’s protection. Thank you to all who regularly pray with me for our offices and our community,” Canton Police Chief John Gabbard said in a statement.

Police body-camera video showed store employees stopping Newman and a woman he was with on Thursday afternoon at the front door of the Walmart and then escorting them to the store’s loss prevention office.

Inside the office, a police officer, according to the security video, conducted a partial pat-down search of Newman, asking, “Nothing on you that’s going to poke me or stab me?”

After conducting a search, the officers told Newman and his female companion to sit on a metal bench inside the office, the video showed.

As the officer radioed in the names of Newman and the woman to confirm their identities, Newman is seen on security video turning to his side and reaching into a pouch he had on him that the officer apparently missed in his search.

Newman is seen in the video pulling out a handgun and pointing it at the officer, but the gun didn’t fire.

The footage showed a Walmart loss prevention employee lunging for the gun and tackling Newman before he could open fire. After a brief struggle, Newman was handcuffed by the police officer, who immediately called for backup.

In the aftermath of the incident, the officer told a sergeant who responded to the store that the suspect allegedly “pulls out a gun and points it at my head and pulls the trigger. It doesn’t go off. I draw. He ends up giving up,” the officer said, according to the video.

The officer, according to the video, told the sergeant he patted him down, but “didn’t get his pouch he had.”

The officer, according to the video, added, “I was going to release them, that was the thing, like it was just going to be a summons.”

Newman was arrested on charges of attempt to commit murder, felonious assault of a peace officer and possession of drugs.

The 23-year-old woman was taken into custody along with Newman and charged with complicity to commit robbery.