I’m not a lawyer, and maybe this is just a US-centric understanding, but someone “pressing charges” doesn’t force the police to arrest the accused person, let alone actually charge them with a criminal offense. Pressing charges, at least to my understanding, is notifying police of a crime, pointing out the offender, and tacitly agreeing to cooperate if the police need more information.
You might be right. I am also not a lawyer, and I’m also in the US. I assumed that they would arrest since Walmart is technically provate property, L&P might have had her legally removed for trespassing? I don’t know, who knows. It might also just be that the police were just listening to the orders of their corporate overlords 🤷
Given that the police were trying to get L&P to drop it, I’m betting they just took her to the station and had her husband pick her up so they didn’t have to deal with L&P anymore.
Since she didn’t leave the store with the item, she didn’t actually steal anything.
I believe you but why do cops do what Walmart employees tell them?
Because it’s easier to give her a ride to the station and give her a warning than to deal with angry employees.
I’d be shocked if she was actually charged with anything because the DA would know that even a public defender could get her off.
i think you misunderstand the purpose of police
I’m guessing that the L&P staff are acting as legal proxies, and therefore can press charges
I’m not a lawyer, and maybe this is just a US-centric understanding, but someone “pressing charges” doesn’t force the police to arrest the accused person, let alone actually charge them with a criminal offense. Pressing charges, at least to my understanding, is notifying police of a crime, pointing out the offender, and tacitly agreeing to cooperate if the police need more information.
You might be right. I am also not a lawyer, and I’m also in the US. I assumed that they would arrest since Walmart is technically provate property, L&P might have had her legally removed for trespassing? I don’t know, who knows. It might also just be that the police were just listening to the orders of their corporate overlords 🤷
Given that the police were trying to get L&P to drop it, I’m betting they just took her to the station and had her husband pick her up so they didn’t have to deal with L&P anymore.
Since she didn’t leave the store with the item, she didn’t actually steal anything.