Disorderly Woman Detained by Off-Duty Cop in Alabama Walmart, Police Say

A Walmart stock photo. Illustration - Shutterstock

An unidentified woman was forcibly arrested by an off-duty police officer in an Alabama Walmart on May 5, and faces multiple charges, police say.

In a video circulating on the internet, the off-duty police officer appears to be attempting to detain her, and she is seen arguing with him. The officer was working an extra job as a security guard inside the Walmart in Roebuck, Ala.

A video statement by the Birmingham Police Department revealed that the woman began yelling obscenities at customers and employees when she was asked to wear a facemask.

Police said the woman was asked to leave the store, but she refused. When the officer moved to detain her, she resisted, leading him to use the takedown method, the department said.

Though the video shows the woman fall to the ground, police said she was unharmed. Subsequent videos posted to Facebook show the woman with no apparent injuries. She also refused medical evaluation, the department said.

The woman has been charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, third-degree criminal trespassing, possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of a controlled substance, the department said in the video.

It wasn’t clear if she was jailed, or if she has representation.

An eyewitness who posted the videos of the incident to Facebook said in comments beneath the post that the woman was asked to put on a mask by a store employee and refused, cursing out the employee after she was asked to leave.

She said the officer intervened later.

Though employees at Walmart are required to wear face masks, customers are only encouraged to do so, according to the company’s website.

The City of Birmingham instituted a face-covering ordinance (pdf) effective May 1, requiring anyone “interacting with persons who are not part of your household” to cover their nose and mouth. It’s punishable by a fine of $500 or 30 days in jail, but police said they simply hoped to educate people.

The CNN Wire and Epoch Times staff contributed to this report.